


Distance

by angelsong87



Series: Love, pain, and x files [1]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 03:34:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6736420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsong87/pseuds/angelsong87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>an internal monologue from their first kiss. this is my first attempt at fanfic so let me know what you think!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a song by Christina Perri Called Distance. it perfectly explained the angst that they felt being in love with each other.

**Distance.**

 

 _The sun is filling up the room_  
And I can hear you dreaming  
Do you feel the way I do right now?  
I wish we would just give up  
Cause the best part is falling  
Call it anything but love  
  
And I will make sure to keep my distance  
Say, "I love you," when you're not listening  
And how long can we keep this up, up, up?  
  
Please don't stand so close to me  
I'm having trouble breathing  
I'm afraid of what you'll see right now  
I give you everything I am  
All my broken heart beats  
Until I know you'll understand  
  
And I will make sure to keep my distance  
Say, "I love you," when you're not listening  
And how long can we keep this up, up, up?  
  
And I keep waiting  
For you to take me  
You keep waiting  
To save what we have  
  
So I'll make sure to keep my distance  
Say, "I love you," when you're not listening  
And how long can we keep this up, up, up?  
  
Make sure to keep my distance  
Say, "I love you," when you're not listening  
How long 'til we call this love, love, love? 

 

 

Jan 1 2000 12:01 AM

She had just saved his life again, god he didn’t deserve her, this perfect specimen of human kindness. He loved her so much, more than words or actions could possibly say. And he knew that she loved him to, but not the way he wanted her to. How could she? He was a broken man and everybody knew it. For months no one even paid him any mind out at the bars and clubs. Even Diana hadn’t wanted him… not really, to be fair he hadn’t really wanted her either. But he needed to know if he could actually feel something for someone. This existence with Scully had become too much to bare, always so close but still so far. All Diana had done was shine a light on how much he wanted Scully, and sometimes….. It was like she wanted him too. She was certainly not shy at showing her jealousy for Diana, but maybe that was nothing more than Scully seeing him in a bad situation and wanting to help. It was obvious that she cared, even to others. That Padgett guy had told him that Scully was already in love, could it be true?

As he watched her standing next to him eyes peering up at the television hanging on the wall, he could feel the heat and electricity of having her so close to him. The countdown was over and as his eyes turned to the picture in front of him, happy couples kissing like there was nothing else in the world left to do. He turned back to Scully and before even consciously deciding to do so, he was leaning in.

Scully felt rather than saw Mulder lean towards her, and before she could stop herself she turned to face him a slight smile playing on her lips. He kissed her sweetly and Scully felt her eyes close enjoying how soft his lips were and the smell of his aftershave. It wasn’t a long kiss and as they broke apart they stared into each other’s eyes. Mulder smiled hopefully at Scully and she returned an encouraging smile. He shrugged slightly and joked. “The world didn’t end.”

“No it didn’t.” She replied as the smile fell away from her face. His face dropped as she broke their eye contact. “Happy New Year Scully.” He said and she laughed to herself. “Happy New Year Mulder.” He reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulders as they walked out of the hospital.

They didn’t say a word to each other their minds were far too busy racing, and they both tried to make sense of the kiss. For a moment Scully had been truly happy, but as they walked through the corridors towards the parking lot a realisation dawned on her. _“The world didn’t end.”_ He had joked to her. It kept playing over and over in her mind. Of course he made a joke, he had meant the kiss to be a joke, it was just something you do on New Year’s, she rationalized.

She snuck a glance up at the man that she loved completely. She couldn’t remember when she first realised that she loved him. It was such a gradual thing, every day she woke up and loved him more than she did the day before. But he didn’t think of her like that. Why would he? She had been a thorn in his side from the moment she had been assigned to work with him. There were times when she had thought to hope that he did care for her, the way he would reach out and touch the small of her back when they were walking, or he would catch her eyes and hold them. The speech in the hallway outside his place, where she was sure he was going to kiss her. But he didn’t, and things had gone back to the way they always were. And then there was Diana…. Scully hated how happy she felt when she found out that Diana had been murdered. It made her sick, how horrible a person you have to be to take joy in another person’s death. No wonder he didn’t love her. She sighed and reached into her purse to find her keys. “Mulder I’m driving you home.”

“I’m fine Scully, I can drive” He replied. But as he turned to look at her he thought, better not to argue. “Alright Scully.” He said and walked to the passenger side of the car. Scully unlocked the car and they got in.

He felt like the world’s biggest fool. In a moment of weakness he had given in to his feelings and now she couldn’t even look at him. Why did he have to kiss her? He had ruined everything! Idiot! On Monday he was going to ask Skinner for some time off so that she wouldn’t have to look at his sorry face.

She looked at him sitting in the passenger seat of her car, he looked utterly defeated. She couldn’t understand his mood, she knew if she just caught his eyes she would be able to figure out why he looked so sad but she dared not look because then he would see how she felt. The kiss hadn’t so much damaged, as obliterated her carefully constructed Armor. She knew that everything she was feeling would show up right there on her face if he looked, thankfully he did not.

They sat there in silence for the rest of the drive, each one wrestling with an emotional burden as they tried to rationalise away what the kiss meant to the other. Finally Scully pulled up out front of Mulder’s apartment. “Ok Scully I will see you Monday I guess.” Mulder said as he exited the car. “Yeah, Bye Mulder.” She replied, he walked up to the front door and turned in time to see Scully pulling away from the curb. He shook his head and sighed as he opened the door to the building.

He had just entered his apartment and thrown himself down on the couch when he heard a knocking on his door. He got up and went over to the door to look through the peep hole. He was surprised to see Scully standing on the other side. He opened the door “Scully I-“

“Can I come in?” She asked cutting him off.

“Sure…..yeah.” He replied before moving out of the way to let her in.

She looked frightened and nervous, it scared him to see her like this. “Scully are you-“

“I have to ask you something……..it’s important.” She said.

“Of course, you can ask me anything.” He replied taking her hand and leading her over to the couch. “Here sit down.”

They sat down together, Scully wouldn’t look at him. She sat there in silence for so long that Mulder thought, she might never speak again. Until finally she looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes and whispered. “Mulder……. Why did you kiss me?”

Mulder sat back, shocked. “Um, I don’t know Scully.” He said trying to get his thoughts in order, should he tell her the truth? “It was New Year’s and that’s what you do and- and I wanted to.” He finished and saw the look of surprise on her face. “I have wanted to kiss you from the moment I met you. And so I just did it! I’m so sorry.” He slumped down and put his face in his hands. This was it, no turning back now, he had truly ruined their friendship.

Scully reached out and took his hands in hers and pulled them from his face. “Don’t be” she said quietly. He looked up at her, hope in his eyes. “Don’t ever be sorry for kissing me.” She said and held his face caressing his cheek. He met her gaze and finally he saw it, all the love that she was offering him was right there in her eyes. She leaned in and kissed him gently. God she smelled so good. He grabbed the back of her head with his good hand and caressed her as he deepened the kiss.

Scully felt her heart start to race as she kissed him passionately, she moved herself so that she was sitting in his lap straddling him. Her hands were everywhere, feeling the muscles in his back, his strong arms, and his thick hair. Oh god she thought to herself, this is really happening.

He stopped, only for a second so that he could remove his pesky sling freeing up his other hand. He reached out and pushed her coat off, and kissed her neck on each of the scratch marks. She sighed her hands moving under his tee, lifting it off his body. She took a moment to stare at his bare chest. She had seen it before, but never like this. She let her fingertips brush up his stomach and through the light smattering of hair on his chest. His breath hitched as she brushed against his nipples and then he was kissing her again. His tongue playfully pressing against hers wanting more. He pulled her shirt off and then sighed as he caught sight of her lacy black bra. “God you’re so beautiful” he said

She smiled at him “shut up Mulder.” She said as she pulled him down on the couch on top of her. His hand ran up her side to settle on her breast as he caressed her, before pulling the cup aside to expose the soft creamy flesh below. He moved his head down so that he could kiss her breast all over before taking her nipple into his mouth.

Scully gasped, it had been so long since anyone had touched her like this. She felt the heat of her arousal radiating out from her centre. “Oh God….. Mulder!” She called out and Mulder having taken the hint reached around and picked her up moving them to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and unbuttoned her pants. He looked up at her, his eyes asking for permission, and waited until she nodded before he removed her pants.

He stopped and stared at her, his partner, the love of his life, was lying in his bed in nothing but her lacy black bra and matching panties. He let out a soft groan and she reached up for him pulling him down on top of her. She kissed his lips before moving to his neck, and the sweet spot just behind his ears. She could feel his hardness pressing through his pants onto her thigh. He thought to himself, if she keeps this up it will be over before it starts, and pushed himself up and off her. She sighed unhappily until he settled himself between her legs, she lifted her hips up and off the bed as he grasped her panties pulling them off. And then he was there nipping at her thighs moving his way up to her sweet centre. She gasped as he took her bud into his mouth, sucking while using his nimble tongue to flick back and forth across the top of it. She moaned and felt her hips rise off the bed involuntarily, as her body reacted to the pleasure she was receiving. He felt so good, she didn’t think she could bear it. Then his hands were there, inside her, pressing and rubbing against her wall all the while his lips never left her sweet centre. She felt the pressure building up in her. “Oh GO- OH FUC- MULDER!” She cried out as she slipped into the most intense orgasm she had ever felt in her life.

He lay there and waited for her to come back down to earth again. As her breathing evened out again she looked down at him and smiled. “Get up here.” She said in a low smouldering tone and he quickly obliged. She rolled him onto his back and reached down to unzip his pants and he gasped as her hand brushed against his hard Bulge. She looked up at him and gave him a cheeky smile before pulling his pants and underwear off. She stopped to stare at his pulsating member still not quite believing she was actually here, she has always wondered what it looked like. It was bigger than she had expected but not so big as to be painful, just right she thought. She ran her fingers lightly along the shaft enjoying the shudder and moan it elicited from Mulder, before grabbing it firmly in her hands and licking it hard from base to end. “OH SHIT SCULLY.” Mulder moaned as she took the head into her mouth and firmly sucked. She tried to recreate the sensation that Mulder had given her by sucking hard on his head while using her tongue to lightly caress the tip. Just when Mulder thought he was going to lose control she stopped. He looked at her as she crawled up the bed towards him. He felt himself enter her as she slid down onto him, he didn’t think anything could feel this good… until she rocked back on her hips and slowly ground against his pubic bone. His hands were everywhere as she rocked back and forth slowly on him, pinching at her nipples feeling her smooth hot skin. When he felt like he couldn’t take it anymore she suddenly quickened her pace. He moaned and looked up at her seeing how close she was to going again, and quickly reached down to find her swollen clit. As he pushed down he felt her contract around him and he closed his eyes and lost himself in the ecstasy of her.


	2. The Morning after

Jan 1 2000 6:45 AM

Scully awoke to a light dancing across her face. Damn I forgot to close the motel black out curtains, she thought to herself and rolled onto her back. An arm snaked around her midsection causing her to freeze as she remembered the events from last night. She smiled and cuddled in closer to the man in the bed, but it was too late. He had already felt her stiffen and was quickly pulling away from her. She rolled onto her side and opened her eyes to take in the wonderful man that lay beside her.

He looked at her sheepishly, not knowing how she would react to last night’s dalliance in the light of the day. “Good morning Scully.” He said.

“Hmm morning.” She replied in a sleepy voice.

“Do you want me to make you some coffee?” He asked still not sure that she wouldn’t run screaming for the door the second he got out of bed.

“Um…. Yeah.” She replied somewhat cautiously.

He smiled at her and got out of bed reaching out for the bottom draw of his side table where he kept his pyjamas. He through on a pair of old grey faded sweat pants that he liked to sleep in and headed for the kitchen.

Scully sat up and looked around for her clothes, seeing her panties and slacks lying on the floor at the end of the bed and her bra hanging haphazardly off the dresser. Where is my shirt? She thought to herself before remembering how Mulder had ripped it off out in the lounge room. She sat for a moment wondering how to proceed before she thought, fuck it and reached down to retrieve her underwear and headed over to the dresser. She opened the top draw and pulled out and Oxford tee and threw it on. It was way too big for her, the end of the shirt coming down to her mid-thigh. She shrugged and headed out to the kitchen where she could smell the coffee percolating.

She stood at the end of his kitchen bench with her arms crossed over her chest. “Mmm smells good.” she said.

Mulder turned from the other side of the bench where he was busy with the coffee machine and mugs and looked at her. She looked incredible, wearing his old school t-shirt and her hair tousled and slightly curling at the ends. Any remnants of her make up where all but gone and her face looked rosy skinned and fresh. It was amazing but it seem to Mulder that she looked younger without all the paint and creams on her face.

“Wow Scully, you look……. Beautiful.” He said and was pleased when he saw her face flush red. That’s what he didn’t like about make up, it hid all those wonderful emotions.

“Really Mulder.” she replied “My hair is a mess and my breath probably smells like death.”

He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “You’re perfect.” He said with a smile before walking back to pour the coffee. Scully, still red faced headed over to the refrigerator to pull out the milk and hand it to him.

“Thank you.” He said

“Welcome.” She replied as he poured in the milk and handed her a cup. She stood there for a moment nursing her cup before taking a cautious sip, Mulder liked his coffee piping hot while she preferred hers to cool a little while. She was surprised to find the temperature just to her liking, she couldn’t remember ever telling him how she took her coffee.

She sighed thinking about last night.

He froze like a deer in headlights, here it is, and he thought, _Mulder I love you but I’m just not in love with you like that. I think I should get a transfer, I think it would be better if we never saw each other again._ He winced while he waited for the words to come.

“Last night was….. Good.” She said cautiously.

“But.” He followed thinking, this is it. Here is where my heart breaks.

“But, I don’t want to rush into anything. “ His heart sank.

“Oh….. Alright Scully.” his face dropping.

“Mulder, it’s not like that, I just want to take things slow.” She smiled encouragingly at him, and took his hand in hers.

“Alright Scully, whatever you need.” Mulder replied. On a whim she pulled him in for a hug. As they broke apart she said. “But now I have to go home.”

“But Scully,” Mulder whined. “It’s the weekend”

“Yeah and you need rest, and to put your arm back in your sling.” She said gesturing to the lounge room where his sling lay on the floor. “And we both need to finish our reports on the millennium case to present to Skinner on Monday morning.” And with that she walked into the lounge room to collect her shirt and coat off the floor and disappeared back into the bedroom to get changed.

Mulder sighed to himself and headed to collect his sling, he would need to change his bandages too as they had slid down his arm somewhat through the night. He was busy fussing with them when Scully walked out of his bedroom now fully dressed.

“Here.” She said. “Let me do that.” And sat him down on the couch so she could remove his bandage. She studied his wound thoughtfully. “It looks a little inflamed, you need to keep it clean.”

He shrugged away from her. “I’ll be fine Scully.”

She caught his eye and gave him one of her patented no nonsense looks. “Where do you keep the iodine?” she asked.

He sighed, he hated it when she fussed over him. “Bathroom cupboard, under the sink.” She walked into the bathroom to collect what she needed. Scully came back with his first aid kit and dropped some iodine on to a wipe, he winced when she touched it to his wound. “You’re a baby.” she laughed.

“Yeah well, you tell me how you would feel when your primary physician is a pathologist.” he retorted.

She just shook her head and continued her work. When she had finished cleaning and dressing his wound she stood up. “Make sure you bring your first aid kit in on Monday so I can dress your wound again, I know you won’t do it yourself if I leave it to you.”

His only reply was to stick out his tongue at her, which just made her laugh. “Okay, I guess I will see you Monday.” She said as she made her way to the door.

He quickly got up to follow her and stood right behind her as she reached the door. “Hey Scully.” He said in a low voice.

“Yes.” She said and turned to face him.

He reached around to the small of her back and pulled her into a passionate kiss, “See you Monday.” He said as they broke apart. Scully just looked up at him before walking out the door and towards the lift.

He closed the door and smiled to himself as he walked back to his room and flopped down on his bed. The pillows still smelled of her shampoo and perfume, a curious blend of apples and vanilla, and sighed. She wanted to make this work, he thought.


	3. Running Late

 

Jan 3 2000 7:00 AM

Scully hadn’t stopped smiling the entire weekend and when she awoke on Monday morning, despite being a horrible morning person, she practically leapt out of bed. She took care not to rush through her morning rituals to get to work early, she didn’t want Mulder to think she was too eager to see him. She had promised herself that she would take it slow, but to be honest Scully had no idea how to proceed. She knew how she felt about Mulder, but she still had no idea how he felt about her. It was obvious that he shared her attraction, but how much deeper did his feeling for her go?

Scully sighed she was never any good at relationships, she sat at her table waiting for her coffee to cool and thought about her previous partners. There was Marcus, her first boyfriend….. But that was high school. She had gone out with him because her best friend Ellen had liked his best friend Tom. The irony was that while her relationship had lasted mere months, Ellen had gone on to marry Tom. Marcus was kind and attentive, everything a high school boyfriend should be and Scully liked him well enough. But when she looked at him, she just didn’t understand what the big deal was. Ellen was always raving on about how love changes everything, and Scully had tried very hard to love Marcus. But after the school year had come to a close she felt no desire to continue dating through collage.

Collage was the first place that she heard the nick name that would follow her for the rest of her adult life, _Ice Queen,_ a very un-fair depiction of Scully in her mind. It wasn’t that she didn’t have feelings, she had just learned from a very early age that, emotions, were not helpful in life. She didn’t have time for a social life. Her family had very high expectations that their daughter would be a qualified doctor in record time, and Scully eager to please had undertaken a double diploma. She had studied neurology, her parents’ choice, and pathology, her choice. And at the bright and early age of 24 had started her residency. It was there that she met Daniel. He was her teacher, and her friend. He had never thought of her as an Ice Queen, but rather, as a hard working young lady who was going places. They would work late together almost every night, going through medical journals and discussing treatment plans for all kinds of maladies. She wasn’t the least bit surprised when he finally kissed her. She had wanted him to for some time.

Her relationship with Daniel was different for a number of reasons, the least of which was that he was already married. In retrospect Scully thought that maybe that was why she had let herself love him, knowing that she could never really have him. Is that why she let herself love Mulder?

But Daniel was good to her, and she had been happy with the way things were. Every weekend he would be with his family, but on weeknights they were all for each other. The sex had been hot Scully supposed, sneaking around and rushing off for a quickie in the broom closet during rounds. But Daniel had always been her teacher first, and when it was clear that they would never be equals Scully had finally decided to end it.

It was one of the major reasons she had come to Quantico, and turned her back on her family and Daniels expectations. Her father had taken it poorly. It was the first time since she was a child that she had ever seen her father yell at her, it frightened her and she almost thought better of her decision. But then like turning on a light switch her Ahab had clammed up, he told her to do whatever she wanted and had left her. If it wasn’t for Melissa’s encouragement, Scully didn’t know where she would be now.

She hadn’t been at Quantico for very long when she had met Jack, another teacher. But he was young and fun and didn’t treat Scully like a student. And Scully had been determined to shake the college nick name. She forced herself into uncomfortable situations, making friends had never been easy for her. And the day that Jack had asked her out for dinner, she had answered yes without a second thought. Their relationship had progressed quickly and within a few months they were living together. Life had been good, simple, Scully thought. But Jack had begun to obsess about work, coming home very late and always angry. When Scully had left him she had wondered if he even noticed. It was then that the Ice Queen moniker had come back into fashion. It wasn’t that she had purposely meant to close herself off, she just didn’t see the point in relationships anymore. That and the fact that she herself was now a teacher at Quantico, she would never be like Daniel and Jack. _She would never date a student._

For the first time ever Scully felt like she might actually be in love, and she had no idea what that meant. She knew that if the shadowy powers that be found out about her and Mulder there would be no stopping them from splitting them up. And Scully couldn’t imagine working in another department anymore, she sighed. This was never going to work, she thought and took a large gulp of her coffee. She glanced over to the clock on the wall.

“Shit!”

It was 8:45 she was going to be late.

“Not today!” she moaned and gathered up her things and headed for the door.


	4. Pacing and Holiday Making

 

Jan 3 2000 9:00 AM

Mulder was pacing in his office, he had gotten to work at about 7:30 and quickly finished his paperwork. Their meeting with Skinner was scheduled for 10:00. Scully was late. As Mulder paced he went over and over in his mind all the reasons Scully would be running late. She was usually in the office promptly at 8:30 every day and it had only been half an hour, not enough time to call in a missing person’s report yet. She could have had a flat tire or gotten caught in traffic. Maybe her alarm didn’t go off? Oh god what if she was in an accident? He moved over to the radio and turned it on, listening intently to see if there had been any road accidents this morning.

As he listened the annoying voice of doubt that lived in the back of his mind piped up. _She is avoiding you,_ it said _she doesn’t want you._ Mulder pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers trying to block out the voice. What if the voice was right? What if she was late because she was already off asking for a transfer, what if she had only said that she wanted to take things slow because she was trying to let him down easy? What would he do then?

He knew why he started work on the X Files, to find his sister. But somewhere in the last six years he had realised that he prioritised Scully even above his lifelong obsession. He tried to think about when that had happened. When she had been diagnosed with cancer? When she had been abducted? The more he thought about it the more his mind went back to their first case together. He smiled to himself when he remember how she had burst into his room half naked freaking out about a couple of mosquito bites. Any normal person would have asked for a transfer as soon as that case was done. But she had stayed. She had listened to his crazy ravings about his sister, and comforted him.

He thought about her curled up on his bed in her bathrobe, the candlelight dancing across her face. Even back then he was struck by how beautiful she was. It had surprised him at the time, Scully was nothing like his usual type of woman. He like tall leggy brunettes that exuded sex appeal and knew it. Scully was this petite firecracker, who had absolutely no idea how pretty she was. In fact she had always tried to downplay her femininity by wearing oversized suit jackets and ill-fitting skirts or slacks. He had noticed and definitely appreciated when she had started to dress better after her cancer. It was like she had a new lease on life and she let her vitality shine through her clothing choices.

Where his previous partners had all been likeminded and agreeing, Scully had always enjoyed contradicting Mulder, he thought it was equal parts annoying and invigorating. He couldn’t imaging not having to work to get his point proven anymore. She made him feel credible, by having to prove his theories he felt less crazy. It was very different to his previous relationships.

Phoebe had relished in making Mulder feel crazy he never knew where he stood with her. He remembered back in Oxford when he had taken her to dinner and asked her to move in with him. She had been so happy he thought everything was perfect, but on the day that they were supposed to move into their place together she had jumped on a plane jetting off to Rome with some friends for three weeks. He had been sure they were over, until the day she showed up at the house with her things and laughed at the stupid look on his face. She put the box she was carrying in his hand and sauntered inside asking what was for dinner. He should have kicked her straight out but she always seemed to have such a hold on him.

It was strange how relieved he was when she left him for that banker’s son. He had just continued on with his life. That was the moment he realised he had never loved her. When he had finished his degree and moved back stateside he had eagerly applied to the FBI, knowing that the resources here would help him in his quest. He remembered how excited he was on his first day of class at Quantico, so excited that he didn’t notice the leggy brunette that sat down next to him right up until she leaned over her desk and had asked to borrow a pencil. He didn’t know when he actually started dating Diana, every day they sat together in class and then had lunch together. He did realise they were dating until someone came up to him one lunch break when Diana was sick and asked him where his girlfriend was. The entire relationship Mulder had felt like he was just being pulled along and through it, Diana had definitely held the reigns. But it was nice and it was easy so Mulder had been quite happy. It was her in fact, who had found the X Files for him. Putting him on the path that now led to Scully. And Diana had been so supportive of Mulder diving head first into the strange and unsolvable, that he had actually gone and purchased a ring to propose with. They had discussed marriage in the past and he knew it was the next logical step. But the day before he had planned to ask her she had come home and told him that she had taken a transfer and would be leaving next week.

Mulder had been shocked. He had no idea that she wasn’t happy. But he kissed her goodbye and tried to pick up the pieces she had left in her wake. They had been together for almost five years and it had been strange sleeping alone again. His insomnia had kept him up so often after she left that he had found the only place he could really sleep was on his couch. And when he eventually moved out of their home together he had never even bothered putting his bed together, keeping his bedroom as a type of storage space instead. That was until the strange water bed had appeared in the room last year. The Gunman still denied that they had anything to do with that, but Mulder didn’t believe them.

He looked at his watch 9:25 where are you Scully? He thought about Diana showing up in his life again last year, it had been such a confusing time for him. He had told Scully that he loved her and she had rolled her eyes at him. Thinking back he understood that he was very high on the drugs that the hospital had given him it made sense now that she didn’t believe him then. But at the time he had taken it as proof that Scully would never feel the same about him. So when Diana had showed up wanting to get back together he had jumped right in. Getting back with Diana had ended up having the opposite reaction to the one he had hoped for, he had hoped that he might finally be able to get Scully out of his mind. But instead everything Diana did, and said he couldn’t help comparing to Scully. He knew he should have given up on Diana right away it wasn’t fair on her but he couldn’t help trying to get Scully out of his head. But in the end Diana had betrayed him, Scully never would.

Just then Scully walked into the office.

“Mulder….. Hi…. Sorry I’m late, I er, get held up at home.” she said not meeting his gaze.

“That’s fine Scully…. Everything alright?” he asked tentatively.

“Yeah.” she replied. “I just need to finalise my case report for Skinner.”

They sat there in silence for the next twenty minutes trying hard not to look at each other while Scully printed off and signed her case report. At 9:55 Mulder stood up “Well Scully, I suppose we should head up.” He said looking over at her.

She had been staring off in space thinking and when she heard his voice she had jumped. “Oh, right, okay.” She replied and gathered up her things.

They walked together to the elevator, there was a noticeable gap between them as they tried to give the other more space. Why hasn’t she looked at me? Mulder thought could she really be trying to let him down gently? He sighed and let his head droop down a little lower.

Scully looked over when she heard Mulder sigh, was he regretting Friday night? She thought. Why is he standing so far away? He hasn’t even tried to talk to me and normally he is talking my ear off all morning. She looked away sullen, as they entered the lift.

As the elevator moved up the floors from the basement more and more people had gotten on and Mulder and Scully had ended up pushed together at the back. They looked clearly uncomfortable to their proximity to each other, and as the doors opened on Skinners floor they both breathed a sigh of relief when they could escape the small room and put some distance between each other.

Skinner immediately noticed his Agents strange behaviour as he opened the door to his office and saw Mulder and Scully in the waiting room. Scully was sitting at one end of the couch in the room pushed as far against the side and she could squeeze herself. Mulder was standing by the other side of the couch, they both look extremely uncomfortable.

“Agents, come in.” He said and stepped out of the doorway to watch Mulder and Scully enter. There was an awkward moment when they both reached the doorway at the same time and flinched away from the other as their shoulders touched. This is very bad Skinner thought to himself. He moved to his desk and sat down while Mulder and Scully sat in the chairs opposite him. They were angled away from each other and looked like they would rather be anywhere but next to each other.

He had witnessed a lot from these two agents he had come to consider friends. Watching them care for each other in hospitals and when one of them had gone missing, they almost appeared like lovers. Listening to them argue over cases they were more like siblings. He had even seen them angry and fighting with each other before, when the X Files had been given to Spender and Fowley. But he had never seen them like this before. They looked like they couldn’t stand each other’s company. “Have you got those case reports?” He asked hoping that something in the reports would shine a light on their distaste for one another.

“Yes sir.” Answered Scully while handing over her report. Mulder wordlessly handed over his and Skinner sat reading their reports taking in the uncomfortable silence that pooled around his Agents.

Unsurprisingly he found nothing in their reports that would explain their behaviour. Of course not, he thought, they never put anything personal in these things.

He sighed, “Are you sure that you want to put in a case report with the word Zombie in it?” He asked trying to break up the silence.

“That’s what they were sir.” Mulder replied. Skinner looked at Scully but she just looked away, he could see the scratches on her neck as they stood out against her skin. They seemed a little better than they had a couple of days ago.

“Mulder, how is your arm doing?” He asked after reading the discharge report from the hospital included in Mulders report. “The Doctor said you are supposed to wear the sling for the next week is that right?”

Mulder sighed at the prospect of having to wear the sling for the next ten minutes little own seven days. “That’s right sir.” He agreed.

Skinner sat thoughtfully for a moment before deciding. “Well then I suggest you use up some of your sick days and take the rest of the week off to recover.” He said, thinking that a break from each other would do the agents some good.

“But sir….I’m fine-“ Mulder started but Skinner cut him off.

“That’s an order agent.” He said authoritatively.

“Yes sir.” Mulder said glumly looking down.

“Alright if that’s everything.” He waited “you’re dismissed.” He said gesturing to the door.

Mulder got up and made his way out of the room, Scully hadn’t moved from her chair. Mulder turned when he noticed that Scully wasn’t following him. “Scully?” He asked.

“You go on Mulder, I won’t be long.” She said back to him and turned her attention back to Skinner.

Mulder tried to catch her eye to gleam what she was doing, but she kept her head pointed firmly away from him. _She is probably asking for that transfer._ The little voice in his head said. He turned back to the door and walked out feeling resigned to his fate.

When Mulder had closed the door behind him Skinner turned his attention back to Agent Scully, wondering what she wanted to say to him that she wouldn’t say in front of Agent Mulder. “What is it Agent Scully?” He asked

“Sir I was just wondering.” She paused “with Agent Mulder off on sick leave…….. Would it be ok if I took the rest of the week off on holiday leave?” She asked “It’s just that, my brother and his wife have just had a new baby and they have been asking me to visit them out in San Diego and there’s not much I can do in the office right now without Mulder and….” She trailed off

Skinner sat back in his chair surprised, he didn’t know what he was expecting Agent Scully to say but it certainly wasn’t that. “Ah,” He thought for a moment “That should be fine Agent Scully, just make sure you write up a leave request and leave it with Arlene before you go. I will see you next week I guess, say hello to your brother from me.”

“Thank you sir.” Scully said and got up to leave “I will.” She walked solemnly out of the office stopping to pick up a leave request form from Skinners receptionist and fill it out while she was there. She kept her expression blank as she walked over to the elevator, and after finding herself alone on the way to the basement she finally let herself smile.

She recovered her blank face by the time she had walked into the office and was somewhat amused to see Mulder at his desk look to all the world like he was just reading the newspaper. He would have gotten away with it too if he had only manage to have the paper the right way up. She walked over to her section of the room and picked up her post it notes and a pen.

“So, what was that about Scully?” Mulder asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

“Oh nothing much Mulder,” Said Scully while doodling on a post it “I asked Skinner if I could take the rest of the week off seeing as your out of commission, I was thinking I might go and see Bill and Tara for a few days.” She ripped of the post it note she was drawing on and walked over and stuck it to Mulders desk. “I’m going to go home and book some flights, I will see you next week Mulder.” She said and walked over to the coat rack grabbed her coat and bag and headed out of the room.

Mulder stared after her flabbergasted. After a moment he finally looked down to the post it note she had stuck on the desk. **_My house 7pm?_** It read, and Mulder smiled to himself.


	5. Bye Bye Porn Collection Hello Scully

 

 

Jan 3 2000 4:00 PM

Mulder had left the office not long after Scully that morning after setting his emails on to forward to his home computer. He had gone home full of nervous energy excited to see Scully tonight. She hadn’t asked for a transfer so things appeared to be going well, he still didn’t know what actually was going on between the two of them but he had finally allowed himself to let a little bit of hope in. he spent the first couple of hours at home checking his house for bugs and wire taps. He checked at least twice a week and never on the same days. When he first started checking he had turned up and alarming amount of listening and recording devices. He even found one tapped to the inside of the cistern in his bathroom. Who on earth would want to listen to him working his bran flakes out of his body? But he hadn’t found a device for some time now, he supposed it must be getting quite costly for those shadowy people to have to keep replacing their toys.

When his checks we all done he pottered around cleaning his apartment. And packing away some things he thought he no longer needed. Once his apartment was clean he had gone for a long run and showered and picked out an outfit for tonight. After getting dressed he fed his fish and walked around checking that the windows were all shut and locked. Though he knew there was a chance he was coming back here for the night he could hope right? Once he was sure the apartment was secure he walked over to the front door and picked up a couple boxes he had sitting there and opened his front door and walked out locking it behind him. He made his way out of the building and into the car park, unlocking the trunk of his car he put the boxes in and got in, he sighed hoping that he would miss most of the traffic on his hour long journey to the Lone Gunmen’s office.

 

****

He stood outside the Gunmen’s office precariously balancing his boxes while he tried to push the buzzer. Frohike eventually opened the door “Hey Muldy, what brings you by?” He asked before stepping back to let Mulder enter.

“Hey Hickey.” He said and gestured with the boxes in his arms. “Do you mind?” He asked.

“Oh yeah sure.” Frohike replied before relieving Mulder of some of his cargo. “What you got there?” He asked curiously

“Just some stuff I don’t need anymore, hey listen can I ask you guys a favour?”

“Sure, the guys are in the office.” Said Frohike and walked into the office, Mulder followed behind.

“Hey Guys.” Mulder said putting his boxes on the table.

“Hey Mulder, find any primo new listening devices we can play with yet?” Asked Langly.

“Sadly no.” Replied Mulder “But I do have something to ask you.”  
“Sure what is it?” Asked Buyers.

“Well Scully is going out of town tomorrow and-“

“Holy shit Mulder! Is this your entire porn collection?” Asked Langly opening one of the boxes.

“No.” Replied Mulder “Just my stuff from home.”

“Why are you getting rid of it?” Enquired Frohike “Got a new girly?” he joked.

Mulder went red. “No, it’s just getting old and taking up space.”

“Wow it sure is getting old!” Exclaimed Langly. “This edition is from the Nixon era.” He laughed.

“Well if you don’t want it.” Said Mulder angrily moving over to gather the box up.

“NO!” Cried Frohike. “I mean, we’ll see that it get properly recycled.”

“What is it you wanted to ask us?” Enquired Buyers who had stayed silent during the entire porn exchange. The others stop rifling through the boxes to pay attention.

“Well as I was saying.” Mulder threw an annoyed look towards Langly and Frohike. “Scully is going out of town tomorrow to visit her brother and I was wondering if you lot could go over to her place and check for bugs.”  
“Oh yeah sure Muldy.” Frohike replied “What time?”

“I’m not sure yet I will ring you tomorrow before she leaves.”

“Any reason in particular you want us to debug her apartment while she is out of town?” Buyer asked.

“Not really, I just know she wouldn’t take too kindly to knowing that Hickey had been poking about in her underwear draws and I figured, her place hasn’t been check out for a while so it would be good to do on the down low.” He replied.

“Yeah” Laughed Langly. “Wouldn’t want Agent Scully to know how paranoid you are, she has already shot you once.”

Mulder sighed frustrated. “Would you just do it?........Please?”

“Sure thing Muldy.” Frohike said kindly. “Just call us when you want us there.”

“Thank you.” Said Mulder reaching into his pocket he pulled out a set of keys, he thumbed through the different makes before finding one and removing it. “Here this is her door key, it will get you into her building and apartment, DO NOT, copy it.” he said handing Frohike the key.

“No problems.” Replied Frohike. “Hey did you want to stick around for a while? Langly just Modded the PlayStation graphics card and we were gonna check out the tomb raider game. That chick is Smokin!”

“Another time guys I need to be somewhere.” He said and headed for the door.

The Gunmen shared a look, “Mulder is definitely seeing someone.” Said Buyers.

“I hope it’s Scully” replied Frohike.


	6. Breakfast at Scully's

Jan 3 2000 6:45 PM

Mulder had arrived at Scully’s earlier than he had expected. The traffic had been surprisingly good for a Monday afternoon, and even after he had stopped in and Scully’s local bodega for a couple bottles of wine. He still had fifteen minutes to kill before heading upstairs. He wondered if he should turn up early or wait in his car until seven like Scully had said. He thought back to their morning at work. It had been so unbelievably awkward Mulder was so glad that Skinner had given them the time off, he wondered if this was what work would be like from now on. He hoped not, he was sure he couldn’t deal with too many days like that. He would rather Scully just shoot him again he thought, laughing at what Langly had said earlier.

He turned his rear-view mirror around to check his hair and absentmindedly smoothed it. Not that it did any good, his hair had always had a mind of its own. He quickly breathed into his hand checking his breath. Had he cleaned his teeth before heading out he wondered?

He checked his watch 6:50 PM close enough he decided and jumped out of the car. He walked up to the front door and was lucky enough to have one of the other tenants walk out as he got there. He quickly grabbed the door, thankful that he didn’t have to use the buzzer. And made his way inside and up the stairs to Scully’s third floor apartment. He stood at her front door and smoothed down his shirt. Why was he so nervous? He knocked on the door.

“Just a minute!” He heard her call out. He breathed out slowly and Scully opened the door beaming at him.

She was casually dressed in jeans and a white t shirt and had her hair pushed back with a headband.

“Hi.” She said awkwardly.

“Hi.” He replied just as awkwardly “I um, brought wine.” He said holding up the bottles.

“Thank you.” she replied.

They stood in the doorway staring at each other for a moment before she suddenly realised “Oh! Come in.” She finally said and stepped back to let him in.

Mulder walked through the door wondering what he was supposed to do. Should he kiss her? But before he could figure out what he wanted to do Scully had reached down to retrieve the bottles and headed to the kitchen. “I ordered Chinese.” She called out. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No that’s fine.” He replied following her into the kitchen where she was pulling out wine glasses and a bottle opener. He cautiously put his hands on the bench either side of her hips, she turned to face him and tilted her head up to kiss him. It had started off tentative and sweet, but it quickly deepened. As Scully wrapped her arms around his back he moved his one hand to the small of her back and the other rested in her hair. Their bodies moved closer together so that they were touching from hip to chest. Just as Mulders hand slipped up under the back of her shirt they heard the buzzer ring. They jumped apart like a pair of high school kids whose parents had just walked in on them. Red faced and thoroughly embarrassed Scully looked up at Mulder apologetically and said. “That would be the delivery guy.” She moved over to the call box to buzz him into the building, and walked into the lounge where her purse sat on the entry table she waited for the knock on the door. Mulder still stood in the kitchen trying to get his body to calm down. It was amazing how his body reacted to her, even the slightest touch from her could elicit aches and trails of heat all over him. He exhaled deeply and moved to finish uncorking the wine. By the time that he had uncorked and poured the wine Scully had paid the delivery guy and was arranging the food on her coffee table.

He brought over the two glasses and sat down on her couch. “So Scully, what do you want to do tonight?” he asked and heartily enjoyed the look she gave him in response.

“I thought we could eat some food and watch a movie maybe?” she replied.

“Okay.” Said Mulder. “What’s on?”

“Well I forgot to go to the video store so it will have to be something I already own. Breakfast at Tiffany’s?” she asked.

“Sounds perfect.” Mulder replied and moved to open the containers of food while Scully got up to put the tape in the player.

They settled down on the couch together and ate as they watched the opening credits roll by.

At some point during the film they had gotten up and removed the remnants of their meal and now all that remained on the coffee table was the two bottles of wine, one empty the other half full and their glasses. Mulder turned to Scully placing his arm over her shoulder.

“You know I have always liked Holly go Lightly.” he said softly.

Scully turned to look at him, checking to see if he was being serious. “Mulder you have seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s?” she said incredulously.

“Sure.” Mulder replied. “I saw it on your shelf once and thought it might be good so I rented it.”

“Huh.” Scully replied mostly to herself. She never really thought about how much attention Mulder paid, it’s not like he had been at her apartment much. She loved how he just seemed to know what was important to her without her saying. “Mulder sometimes you are the sweetest man I have ever known.” she said looking at him seriously.

“Why thank you mam I think your pretty swell.” He joked in and old movie accent and pretended to tip his hat at her.

She shook her head laughter played in her eyes “Shut up Mulder.” she said and pulled him in for a kiss.

As soon as their lips met they felt a spark of heat build between them and intensify. He probed at her lips with his tongue and they parted, her tongue swirling out to meet his. His arms were pulling her so tightly against him she was practically on top of him and she reached her hands under his shirt to feel his strong back muscles. He moved his head down to focus his lips on her neck, one hand reaching up under her shirt to cup her supple breast. When his lips found the sweet spot behind her left ear she brought her hand down involuntarily, scratching hard at his back as she went. Mulder let out a moan “God Scully!” He panted before moving his lips back to her neck with renewed rigor. She felt her hips come up as she slid down on the sofa Mulder settling between her legs. She let out a whimper as his nimble fingers found the peak of her breast and brushed and tweaked it. She was wearing entirely too much clothing she thought and sat up pushing him off her.

He sat back surprised watching her as she stood up. She gave him a flirty smile and reached out to take his hand pulling him up from the couch. When he stood up she kissed him greedily and then turned still holding his hand to lead him into the bedroom.

When they entered the bedroom Scully pushed him up against the wall pressing her whole body against him while she pull at his neck so that he would lower his face down to meet hers. Rather than do that Mulder reached around her to grab at her supple behind, and lifted her up to meet him. Her legs locked around his waist and her hands pushed deep into his hair. He turn them around so now Scully was against the wall and lifted her shirt off, he didn’t even bother stopping to appreciate what he was sure was a stunning bra his only thought on the matter was the moment of happiness he had when he discovered the clasp was at the front. He unclasped it and pushed it aside, his mouth immediately going for the hard nipple he had played with earlier. Scully moaned when his tongue found the hard peak, her hips grinding against him. She reached down and tried to undo the buttons of his shirt, letting out a whimper when she only partially succeeded at removing his shirt. He smiled at her and helped her with the rest of the buttons and quickly discarded the shirt on the floor.

Both topless now he moved back to her mouth licking at her bottom lip and dancing with her tongue. She pressed her chest against his relishing the feeling of her skin on his. He moaned in her ear and moved towards the bed throwing both of them down on the floral comforter. His hands immediately started working on the button and zip of her jeans and her hands scratch at his back with anticipation. God she wanted him so bad! His hand slipped down inside her unzipped jeans and came to rest on her sopping wet underwear. He looked at her his eyes darkening and his pupils so dilated that you could barely see any of the colour. He stared intently at her. He wanted to see her face as his fingers pushed aside the soaked material and entered her. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she let out a gasp, his long nimble fingers quickly found the special spot that made her buck and moan, and were moving and pushing against it in an off-beat pattern. He tried to move his thumb up to massage her bud but he couldn’t manage it with her jeans and underwear still on, he moaned in frustration and clawed at her jeans with his other hand. Scully lifted her hips and brought her hands down to help him remove her jeans. She felt suddenly empty and unsatisfied when he removed his fingers from her to pull her panties off and let out another whimper, but was soon rewarded when Mulder brought his face down to her hot centre instead. Lapping up her sweet juices before concentrating on her pulsating button. Scully moaned as his mouth settled over her sucking greedily Mulder’s tongue massaged her in the same off-beat pattern he had utilised on her with his fingers. She cried out in surprise and pleasure when he bit down lightly, her hips rising off the bed and pushing him deeper into her. His hand snaked up and entered her once again. His mouth never faltered as his fingers found that sweet spot again. Scully had lost control of all of her senses, giving into the intense pleasures that Mulder was bestowing on her. “Oh God Mulder!” she cried feeling the intensity build up inside her. Mulder stepped up his pace. Her breath hitched in her throat and just as she came she felt Mulders tongue enter her. He lapped up all of Scully’s hot wet pleasure before it even had a chance to escape. Both of his hands were holding her at the hips, feeling her body shudder in enjoyment. Only when she finally stilled did Mulder remove himself from her centre crawling up to lay next to her, his erection throbbing painfully in his jeans.

Scully rolled onto her side resting her head on his chest while his arms enveloped her. Her hand crept down and she rested it on his jeans, she could feel his hardness pushing against his zipper. She felt his body stiffen as she gently rubbed up and down and smiling she undid the button and pulled his zip down. She let her hand sink into the dark curls that surrounded his throbbing tumescence before firmly grasping his shaft in her hand. Mulder groaned “Scully!” as she worked her hand up and down feeling how hard he was beneath her, he was like a steel bar in her hand. She started pumping him harder and faster falling into a comfortable rhythm. She could feel all of the muscles in his chest tense. She kept pumping watching his face, which was contorted in pleasure.

All of a sudden she twist her hand while maintaining the up and down motion and felt the hitch in his breath. The next second Mulder was pushing her down on the bed and clambering in between her legs. He had taking his pants off so fast Scully hadn’t even had time to react. As he settled on top of her he thrust slowly grinding himself against her. He kept going in that slow and steady motion until she was aching to have him inside her. She looked up into his eyes as he lay propped up over her. Mulder understood and with one hand guided himself inside her. As he pushed himself in he felt Scully’s hips rise up to meet him, allowing him to push deeper inside her centre. So slowly it was almost agony to the two of them he pulled himself back, letting only the tip of himself remain in her. Before pushing himself slowly back in and her hips rose up to meet him again. The stared at each other wanting to watch every intimate moment play across the others eyes. As he repeatedly pulled himself to the brink of her and back in, again and again. After an immeasurable period of time he started to quicken his pace. Still watching Scully eyes, pleased when he could see the pleasure in them increase. Wordlessly, never breaking eye contact he reached down to massage her sweet spot tapping out an entirely different pattern to the one playing out inside of her. The response was instant. He felt the walls of her contract against his shaft and he moved in her harder and faster. Scully could no longer maintain eye contact and as her eyes rolled back into her head her back arched and she pushed him in deeper still. Just one more thrust and she was there. Thrown into the ecstasy of her climax, her centre shuddering around Mulders still pumping erection he followed quickly behind her and their rapture blended together.

Mulders arms gave way and he lay there on top of Scully trying to get his breath back. Their sweat mingling on their chests. Mulder rolled off Scully and they lay together legs and arms entwined bodies relaxing as the tensed muscles finally loosened.

“I need to write you post it notes more often.” Scully joked breathily. And they both laughed

He stood up and asked. “Water?”

“Mm yes please.” Scully responded. “There should be a cup in the bathroom.” She turned to watch her partner walk naked into her bathroom. She groaned when she realized that she would have to move to get under the covers and pulled herself up. By the time Mulder had padded back to the bed Scully was tucked up in the blankets, which had been pushed down on his side.

She reached out for the glass and Mulder handed it to her. “Thank you.” she said and took a big gulp. Mulder settled himself into the bed and Scully coiled herself around him.

“Goodnight Mulder.” She said sleepily.

“Night Scully.” Mulder replied and kissed her forehead.


	7. Teddy bears?

Jan 4 2000 9:15 AM  
Mulder awoke easily, naturally, for a change. After years of insomnia and nightmares he had gotten very used to running on as little as three hours sleep a night. Scully kept her room dark so Mulder had no idea how late it was, he looked over at the alarm clock. 9:16 AM   
Wow! He thought, I can’t remember the last time I had eight hours of unbroken sleep and it has been more than that. He looked down at the source of his restful slumber, she rested in his arms with her head propped up on his shoulder. He decided he loved watching Scully sleep, she looked so peaceful, and vulnerable, with none of her usual armour in sight. The only thing he missed were her bright blue eyes, they were his favourite feature, and he had never met a more expressive pair of eyes ever in his thirty nine years of life.  
He reached down and brushed an errant hair from Scully’s cheek and she murmured and rolled away from him. Damn! He cursed internally, suddenly feeling the cold on his side in the wake of her departure. He sighed, and rolled on his side to better see her.  
The sheet had slipped down when she rolled over and Mulder could see the soft unmarked flesh of her back, he knew he should let her sleep but he couldn’t help reaching out and running his fingers across her warm skin.  
Scully woke with a shudder of contentment and stretched before turning to look at him.  
“Hi.” She said with a sleepy smile.  
“Good morning Scully.” He replied and reached out to pull her back into his arms.  
“So what do you want to do today?” She asked. “We have the whole day to ourselves.”  
“So you’re not flying out to San Diego to visit your brother?” He enquired.  
“Bill? God no, do you really think I want to spend a whole week listening to my brother complain about you? Mulder he hates you, besides, I just saw all my family over Christmas.”  
“Ok Scully,” Said Mulder smiling at the thought of Bill Scully whining about him, he wondered how her Christmas had really gone. “Well what would you like to do?”  
“Hmm stay in bed all day?” She flirted.  
“We could do that.” Mulder replied, we could never leave this bed, he thought. And then he remembered that the gunman were coming here today to sweep for bugs. How was he going to get her out of the house for that? “Or” he began cautiously. “You could…. Pack a bag and spend a week’s holiday with me?”  
“Mulder, we can’t.” replied Scully.  
“Look Scully I know you want to take it slow but, this just feels right to me and I want to make you feel special.” Said Mulder cursing his pre coffee brain for allowing his thoughts to slip out aloud.  
“No Mulder, it’s not that, I mean we can’t just go on a holiday together, people would see us.”  
Of course she was worried about them being seen together, he thought. She wouldn’t want to do anything that would jeopardise the x files, she knew how important they were to him.   
“Don’t worry about it Scully, I will make sure that no one sees us together. I promise, just pack a bag and meet me over at my house in an hour.” he said and got out of the bed.  
“Mulder.” she said warily.  
“Just trust me on this Scully, I promise if you don’t like it you can go home.” He said his eyes pleading with her.  
“Alright.” She said begrudgingly.  
He beamed at her gathered his clothes up and headed to the bathroom. Scully flopped back down on the bed. What did he have planned for her, she wondered. She honestly had no idea, the thing about Mulder was, he always found a way to surprise her.   
She used to hate surprises, when she was growing up a surprise was usually being told that they were moving again. Or that the friends she left behind had already forgotten about her. But with Mulder she had learned that a surprise was jumping in with both feet and finding something you never dreamed of. Surprises were birthday keychains and invisible men, and cows flying in the air. Late night phone calls and perfect coffee. She was starting to love Mulder surprises.   
Mulder walked back in fully clothed now and leaned over the bed to kiss Scully goodbye. But as he went to kiss her forehead Scully snaked her arms around his waist and pulled him back into the bed with her. She kissed him sweetly.  
“Mm Scully, I have to go.” He said breaking the kiss. “And you need to pack.”  
“And for what weather should I be packing for?” She asked trying to get an idea of what Mulder was planning.  
“Hmm.” he said pretending he was thinking hard. “pack comfortable, but lacy.” He said cheekily.  
Scully laughed and pushed him off the bed as he sat up. “Should I bring my teddy?” She asked flashing her best come hither look.  
“The bear?” Mulder replied feigning confusion. “If you want Scully. I’m happy to share.” He teased.  
“Shut up Mulder.” She said laughing. And with that he turned tail and headed for the door.   
“See you soon.” He called on his way out. And Scully sighed and walked to her closet to pull out her suitcase.  
After she had opened the case and sat it on her bed she walked over to her dresser, wondering what to pack. She didn’t have much in the way of lingerie generally preferring comfort over looks. And as she started going through her underwear draw she realised how lucky she had been to be wearing matching bra and panties on New Year’s Eve. She shook her head, none of this would do and after quickly throwing some comfy jeans and t shirts into the case she pulled on a skirt and top and headed for the door. She hoped that a quick stop and Victoria’s Secret would not make her too late.


	8. Pasta Surprise

 

Jan 4 2000 11:24 AM

Mulder hurriedly put his key into the lock to his apartment, he was so late! He practically fell through the door as he opened it, all of the grocery bags tumbling out of his hands. He looked up expecting to see an annoyed Scully sitting on his couch but she wasn’t there yet. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly picked up the mess of bags off the floor. I hope I didn’t break the eggs he thought as he kicked the door closed behind himself and headed for the kitchen.

He could not believe how long it had taken at the store to buy the groceries. Granted he did have to go to a few different stores to find the weird bee pollen that Scully liked in her yogurt. But still he couldn’t understand why there would be so many people shopping on a Tuesday morning, didn’t they have jobs? Thank god Scully was running late too, he thought.

He had just finished putting away the last of the food when he heard the knock on the door. Scully had her own key to his apartment of course but both of them had a habit of knocking first anyway.

He opened the door and smiled at the small redhead who looked as flustered as he had felt moments before. “Hi. Come on in.” he said and moved to pick up her suitcase.

Scully followed him back into his apartment and looked around. “So where are we going on our holiday?” she asked curiously.

“We’re here.” he replied. “I know we can’t go away together like that so I decided that I would try and give you the best possible holiday I can right here.”

“That’s sweet Mulder.” Scully said smiling at him, he was so wonderful sometimes Scully thought, although I don’t know if I could do a whole week of eating take out for every meal. She had only managed a quick cup of too hot coffee for breakfast and was starving.

As if he read her mind he asked. “Are you hungry? I was about to make lunch.”

“Famished.” She replied, did he just say make? Mulder can’t cook. She thought to herself following him into the kitchen.

“So what do you feel like?” He asked.

Scully surveyed the look of eagerness on her partner’s face, perhaps it was a good idea to pick something simple she thought. “I would love a grilled cheese sandwich if you have it?”

Mulder looked slightly disappointed, but happily said “one grilled cheese coming up, why don’t you go and sit down. I will bring it out when it’s ready.”

Scully gave one more concerned look before heading out into the living room. He couldn’t possibly burn a grilled cheese sandwich too much could he? She picked up the TV remote and started flicking through the channels. She found some horrid hallmark midday movie drama and settled herself on her side of the couch to watch. Before too long Mulder was walking out with two plates. He put the plates down on the coffee table and sat down beside her.

“What are we watching?” He asked.

“I have no idea.” Scully replied. “But it’s terrible.”

He laughed. “perfect.” he said. They sat there in silence watching the bad movie eating a surprisingly good sandwich.

They sat there for a good long while cuddled in together, both feeling perfectly content with the quiet as the credits rolled by. After the movie some afternoon gameshows came on and they took turns shouting out the correct answers at the television. Scully couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this relaxed. With Mulder, she was used to always running, driving, flying, just always moving, it felt so wonderful just being still with each other.

The sun had gone down several hours earlier and they both still sat, Mulder with his arm wrapped around Scully and her head resting on his chest, watching the TV when a loud grumbling noise sounded out.

“Was that you or me?” Mulder joked.

“Mm I’m not sure, what time is it?” Scully murmured looking at her watch. “Mulder it’s after nine…….. We have been sitting here all day!” She exclaimed.

“Well no wonder we are hungry.” Mulder replied before pulling himself off the couch and walking to the kitchen, Scully followed behind.

“You sit right here.” Said Mulder guiding Scully by the shoulders to the stools at the breakfast bar. “I’ll fix us some food.”

He walked over to the refrigerator and started pulling out ingredients. Scully looked at the food items he was placing on the bench and asked. “What’s for dinner?”

“My world famous Carbonara.” Mulder replied pulling out the chopping board and pots.

Scully sat back in the chair content to watch him work, if he burnt it too badly we could always call for Italian she thought to herself but as she watched him cook she noticed something she never thought was possible, Mulder could cook! He looked perfectly comfortable in the kitchen, domesticated even. It was strange, but nice. By the time Mulder was plating up the food Scully was eager to taste the dish.

He set the table in the rarely used dining room that was usually covered in case files and old newspapers. But tonight the table was empty, baring the plates and cutlery and a candlestick, the low lighting coupled with the quiet Elvis Cd Mulder had playing in the kitchen made for a very romantic setting. And Scully sat down in the chair that Mulder had pulled out for her.

“Wine?” he asked.

“Yes please.” Scully replied and patiently waited for him to return to the table before trying the dish he had made. “You know, if I didn’t know any better I would think you were trying to seduce Me.” she joked.

“Well that would depend on if its working.” Retorted Mulder sitting back down.

Scully took a bite of the carbonara. “Wow Mulder this is really good! I didn’t know that you could cook.”

“I’m just full of surprises Scully.” He replied seductively.

After dinner Scully insisted on washing up declaring that he was on holidays too and sent him to bed. When she crawled in next to him he was looking up to the celling smiling.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked him

“Just that carbonara was mine and Sam’s favourite dish when we were kids.” He said smiling.

“Oh… I’m sorry.” said Scully she knew that his sister was a touchy subject “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, its fine.” Mulder smiled. “it’s actually a really good memory, we had this treehouse out in the backyard and I wouldn’t let her come up and play with me and my friends so she bribed us with the leftover pasta from the night before.” he laughed. “She was about six years old and wasn’t allowed to use the stove so we sat there in the middle of the treehouse eating cold gloopy carbonara straight out of the saucepan.”

Scully smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”

“She was a good kid.” He replied, a hint of wist in his voice. “She had no fear either. She was doing back flips off the jetty at the vineyard before I could.”

“I never managed the back flip.” Scully replied. “I would always get scared mid jump and end up belly flopping in the water.”

Mulder laughed. “I would pay good money to see that Scully.”

They talked for hours that night, sharing memories from their childhood about their family and friends. Laughing and joking at the descriptions of the terrible haircuts and Star Trek costumes, before finally falling asleep just as the sun was coming up.


	9. Busted?

 

Jan 5 2000 1:40 PM

That afternoon Scully woke to an empty bed. She frowned and sat up looking at the clock. Damn she’d slept the whole day away.

She sighed and got up in search of Mulder, but he was nowhere to be found. She frowned and called out for him. “Mulder?”

No response. Where could he be? She walked into the kitchen and saw a post it note stuck to the fridge. **Went to see the Gunmen, home soon.**

Well, he will be a few hours at least, she thought to herself. She knew that when the boys got together for a debate they could go all day. She opened the fridge feeling peckish and hunted through the well-stocked shelves until she came across her favourite brand of yogurt and the jar of bee pollen she liked to mix it with. She settled down on the couch enjoying the aroma of Mulders aftershave mixed into the leather.

****

Mulder pulled up at the Gunmen’s cramped office building that also served as their home and turned off the car. He hated leaving Scully at home during their vacation and she had looked so peaceful asleep in his bed. But he needed to get the results of the debug from the Gunmen and let’s face it, he couldn’t exactly bring Scully with him, considering he never told her what they were doing in the first place. He knew she would be furious at him if she ever found out, but he was doing it for her own safety, so it was worth the risk.

He rang the buzzer and turned his face up to stare into the security camera by the front door and waited for one of the boys to let him in. before too long he heard the sounds of the many locks as they tumbled apart to let him in. not for the first time he thought if there was ever a zombie apocalypse this is where he would take Scully to ride it out. The Gunmen were professional preppers.

“Hey man.” Said Langly as he opened the door. “What’s happening?”

“Langly.” Replied Mulder stepping into the building and making his way to the cramped office.

“Oh Hey Muldy, we debugged Scully’s apartment last night.” Said Frohike looking up from his computer as Mulder entered.

“Was there much there?” Enquired Mulder, he expected Scully’s apartment to be pretty clean of bugs, seeing as his place was bug free and they hardly ever spent any time over at her house.

“We could have called pest control the infestation was that big.” Said Frohike matter of factly.

Mulder froze mid step. “Shit.” He said quietly to himself. “What did you find?” He asked the Gunmen.

“It was beautiful!” Exclaimed Langly. “Some real state of the art stuff.”

“I’m going to have some real fun playing with this gear.” Agreed Frohike.

Buyers, upon seeing Mulders face fall, quickly set about filling him in on what they found. “There were the general bugs that we are used to seeing in almost every room. As well as a high quality tap on the phone, Agent Scully probably wouldn’t have even noticed it. But the most interesting find was in the main bedroom. We found a tiny camera drilled into the wall, it was hard wired in to fibre optic cables with redundant relay systems in place.”

“What does that mean?” asked Mulder, he had sat down in a chair during Buyers explanation and was now nursing his head in his hands.

“It means that even if the power to the whole building was cut, this thing would still record. It was muchos fresca.”

Mulder looked up at Frohike. “Way cool.” He translated. Mulder shook his head as if trying to clear it.

“Did you remove it?” he asked exasperated.

“Sure did, that apartment is clean as a whistle. But I would recommend weekly sweeps now to be sure they don’t try again.” Said Frohike.

Mulder nodded feeling defeated, surely the Smoking Man and his friends knew everything now, and by the time he got back to work on Monday. He didn’t want to think about Monday.

“It was weird though, I mean we have seen countless bugs at your place Mulder but these were from a whole different league. It’s not even the same technology!” Said Langly excited for the chance to study something new.

“So it’s possible that my clandestine friends had nothing to do with it?” Asked Mulder hopefully.

“It’s entirely possible.” Agreed Buyers.

“But that then opens a whole new can of worms,” Frohike countered “If it wasn’t them, then who was watching Agent Scully’s apartment?”

An interesting question Mulder thought, I guess we will find out on Monday. “Thanks guys, I gotta go.” Was all he said and with a nod of his head he was gone. Leaving the Gunmen to theorise what all this was about.

****

When Mulder arrived home he called out for Scully. “Hey Scully you home?”

“Yeah I’m in the bathroom.” Scully called in reply.

Mulder walked over to the bathroom and tapped on the door. “Can I come in?” he asked tentatively

“Sure.”

Mulder walked in and saw Scully in the tub, a glass of wine resting on the floor next to her. She was reading a book and her hair was tied up at the top of her head with a scrunchie. He could smell apples and vanilla in the air. He didn’t think he would ever be able to smell those scents again without thinking of her.

“Hey, how are the boys?” Scully asked turning her head towards him. He walked over to the tub disappointed that the entire surface of the water was covered in bubbles.

“They’re good, they just had some stuff they wanted to go through with me, covert transmissions and junk.” He smoothly lied. “Hey Scully?”

“Yes Mulder?”

“How would you feel if we got the Gunmen to sweep our places for bugs once a week for a while?” he asked.

“I don’t know Mulder, I guess maybe if I was there when they did the sweeps it would be ok. Why do you want to do that all of a sudden?”

“Well, I guess…. Now that we are spending more time together outside of work….. Um….. I think it would be good to be more careful.” He knew he had to get her to agree but he didn’t want to tell her about how much surveillance had been at her house. He knew it would only scare her.

“Let me think about it, ok?” Scully replied stretching her neck.

“Does your neck hurt?” Mulder asked concern in his voice.

“Yeah, I think I may have slept on it funny.” Said Scully working at the muscles with her wet hands.

“Here let me.” Said Mulder sitting at the edge of the tub behind her.

Wordlessly she handed her body lotion to him and he looked at the bottle. Vanilla Milk Moisturising Lotion, the label read. So that’s where the vanilla scent comes from he thought, pouring some of the lotion onto his hands. He started at her shoulders pushing up towards the base of her neck, running his thumbs up her slender neck. Scully murmured in appreciation as he worked. When her neck had loosened he moved on to her back. Slowly relaxing all the muscles of her upper back, when he reached the waterline he stopped and Scully sighed in complaint. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

“You know I could do a much better job of this if you were lying in the bed.”

Scully turned and kissed him. “Hand me a towel then.” She replied seductively.

Mulder quickly jumped up and obliged.


	10. Back to reality

Jan 8 2000 1:15 PM

Scully was trying to leave Mulders apartment, she had been trying to leave all day. But they both seemed to find endless excuses and reasons for her to stay. She was currently standing by the front door, her bags packed on the floor next to her. Mulders arms surrounding her waist and hers snaked around his neck.

“Mulder, I have to go.” She said sadly.

“I know Scully, but its only Saturday. We aren’t due back at work till Monday. Are you sure you don’t want to stay for one more night?” he said, slowly rubbing up and down her back.

“We talked about this Mulder.” Said Scully with a sigh. “This has been a wonderful holiday, but it’s time to go back to reality. We can’t act like this at work.”

She didn’t want to go back to work, she wanted to live in this moment for the rest of time. But rationally she knew they couldn’t sustain this, Mulder hadn’t even made it a full week without needing to go off and investigate something. She thought, even if it was just with the Lone Gunmen. No, this was for the best. They needed a day apart to get ready for the professional appearances they needed to show at work.

“Ok Scully.” He said looking down into her eyes. He knew she was right of course, but that didn’t mean he wanted to let go of her. They stood there staring into each other’s eyes like it was going to be the last time they ever would.

They still hadn’t had the _‘relationship’_ talk yet, Mulder wondered if they ever would. It didn’t really matter to him either way, he knew how he felt about Scully. And after their home holiday the thought he knew how she felt too. But even so, he had been careful not to throw out the dreaded L word just yet. He still wasn’t one hundred percent sure that Scully wouldn’t go screaming off in the other direction if he did. Or worse, roll her eyes at him like last time.

Finally he let her go, and as she picked up her bags and headed for the door she threw one last look at the man she called her partner. “See you Monday.” Was all she could manage before fleeing his sight. Still not sure that she wouldn’t turn around and run back to him.

You are being silly! She chided herself. You promised yourself that you would take it slow. There is no point rushing into something that can never work, she reminded herself throwing her bags into her car. She sighed to herself and prepared for the twenty minute journey back to her place, she would need to buy some food on the way home.

****

Mulder stepped inside his apartment and stopped to catch his breath, before removing his sweat soaked sweatshirt and tee. He had decided to go for a run about ten minutes after Scully had left, hoping that the exercise would work off some of his restless energy. The moment he was alone he had found his apartment to be too quiet, too still. It made him uneasy. But he was home again now and still felt a little edgy so he went about busying himself. After a shower he walked around trying to tidy up but Scully, being the clean freak that she was hadn’t left him with much mess to contend with.

He walked over to his computer and booted it up. After connecting it to the internet he checked his emails. There was an interesting email from one of his friends at the bureau. It was a case report from a local P.D in Virginia, one of their deputies had his face smashed in with a police issue flashlight in the woods last night and the suspected murderer was a sixteen year old boy.

What made it so interesting was that the coroner had concluded that the victim had only been hit the one time. He clicked on the picture file and waited for it to open.

Wow! He thought, that’s a lot of damage for one blow. What’s that shiny thing at the back of the head? He leaned forward in his chair to get a closer look. Is that his glasses? In the back of his head!

Mulder stood up and headed for his coat, he wanted to look into this further.


	11. Flashlights and First editions.

Jan 10 2000 8:25 AM  
As Scully entered the Federal Building she felt butterflies dancing in her stomach. She was excited to see Mulder again. She self-consciously smoothed down her hair as she waited to go through security.  
“Morning Agent Scully.” Said the security guard as she handed over her standard issue revolver and keys to walk through the metal detector.  
“Hi Frank, how’s the family? Amy feeling any better?” She asked.  
“Yeah, much better thanks. Oh and thanks for recommending that calamine lotion, she wanted me to tell you thanks for making the itches go away.” He replied with a smile.  
“Well the Chicken Pox can be tough when you’re four. But I’m sure any daughter of yours is tough enough to get through them. See you later Frank.”  
“Bye Agent Scully!” he called after her.  
She always liked Frank, he was always kind to her and never gave her the looks most of the other staff and the Bureau did. Like she and Mulder were freaks, and they were sleeping together. She let out a small laugh as she thought about that, she guessed they were right about that now. She looked around the elevator to see if anyone had noticed her outburst and sure enough, the three other people in the lift were looking at her like she was crazy. She quickly changed her posture and facial expression to one of professional indifference. And hit the basement floor button.  
Scully was surprised when she walked to the door of the office that she and Mulder shared. It was closed and locked. Mulder was always here before she was, unless he was on a case. And he couldn’t be on a case already, they only just got back to work today. She unlocked the door and flick on the lights on her way in. The office looked the same as usual, although Mulder definitely hadn’t been in this morning, there were no discarded coffee cups sitting on the desk yet. She looked around the office despondently, it felt colder and emptier without Mulder in it. Just then the phone rang.  
“Hello.” She said picking up the handset.  
“Hey Scully it’s me.” She heard a voice say.  
“Mulder…. You’re late.” She responded with a smile.  
“Actually I’m in Virginia, Pittsfield to be exact.” He said.  
“You’re in Pittsfield? Why?” she enquired.  
“We have a case.”  
“In Pittsfield…..”  
“Yeah. Hey listen I’m faxing you over the case report now, and I have booked you on the nine thirty flight over to Roanoke, it’s about an hour’s drive from there. It’s only going to be a day trip so don’t worry about packing anything.”  
“Mulder when did you find this case? You only got back to work today.” She said warily.  
“I had some stuff to do in the office over the weekend and it came to my attention. You’re going to have to get moving if you don’t want to miss your flight Scully. I will see you soon ok.” He said before hanging up.  
Scully stood for a moment dumbfounded still holding the receiver in her hand. How could he have found a case already? I only left him on Saturday. She shook her head smiling. Only Mulder, she thought, replacing the phone and walking over to the fax machine. After placing the faxed case report into a folder she headed to the door, hoping she would have time to read it on her flight.  
****  
As it turned out she had ample time to read the case report on her way to Pittsfield, there had been some sort of minor car accident on the road between there and Roanoke and traffic was moving at a snail’s pace. Scully sighed and tapped out the rhythm to a song playing on the radio on the steering wheel of her rental car. She was ten minutes out from the hospital Mulder had told her to meet him at when she called him an hour and a half ago to let him know she had made her flight.   
Finally she made it to St Jude’s Memorial Hospital and pulled in to a carpark. Grabbing the case report, she headed for reception to ask where the morgue was. She got on the lift headed for the third floor.  
Mulder was waiting near the doors, he had just pulled out his phone again for the fortieth time. Scully should have been here forty five minutes ago and he was starting to worry. He punched in her number and was about to hit call when he felt a tap on his shoulder.  
“Oh” He said turning around. He was relieved to see Scully smiling up at him. “There you are.” He said smiling back at her. “Was there heavy traffic?”   
“Slow going.” She replied as they started to walk towards the morgue. “Let’s just say I had ample time to read the police report that you faxed me.”  
“Thoughtfully provided by the local authorities, even though it doesn’t begin to tell the whole story.”  
“Sherriff’s deputy is slain during a routine patrol.” She said quoting the case file. “It’s a tragic occurrence, but I don’t see the mystery here Mulder.”  
“Except that the deputy was beaten to death by an invisible assailant.” He countered.  
“Yes, But that’s according to the young man who is accused of his murder.”  
“One Tony Reed, and I’m guessing wrongfully accused. He’s an A student moved here a few months ago from Philadelphia.” Said Mulder pushing open the door to the morgue. “He’s never been in trouble in his life.”  
Scully looked at the cocky look on her partners face, and walked inside. “Mulder, Tell me that you’ve got more than SAT scores to show that this Tony Reed didn’t commit this crime.” She said picking up a pair of rubber gloves and snapping them on.  
“Maybe.” He replied coyly “Take a look at the body.”  
Scully was starting to think that coming out here was a waste of time, maybe Mulder just didn’t want to be couped up in the office with her, she thought. It was one thing at his house. But now they were back at work she didn’t know what to think. She opened her mouth to tell him that this was a waste of time, but decided to look at the body anyway. She knew that if she did say something he would just pester her until she did what he wanted anyway, so why fight it? The sooner she looked over the deputy the sooner she was on a plane ride back to Washington.  
She turned on the overhead light and threw back the sheet. What the hell? His entire face was concaved in. there were no discernible facial features left, just a bloodied mass of tissue and bone. She turned to look at her partner.  
“The former Deputy Ronald Foster.” Confirmed Mulder. “As you can see, the report doesn’t quite do it justice.”  
Scully looked back at the body, horrified at the amount of damage this man had sustained. “Oh my god! It looks like he was hit with a sledgehammer.” She said leaning in to get a closer look.  
“Police flashlight.” Said Mulder and Scully turned to look at him in surprise. “One blow.” he finished looking back at her.  
Come on Scully thought to herself, really? That can’t be right. She turned back to the body to survey the damage herself. After examining the wound she sighed. “Well the damage to the maxilla and facial bones is consistent with a blunt force trauma. But,” she paused trying to think of how a sixteen year old kid could have done this in one blow. “I’d say that tony eats his Wheaties.” she concluded looking up at her partner.   
He just looked back cocky expression still in place. “Check out the back of his head.”   
Scully bent down to look at the back of the Deputy’s head. There was an exit hole consistent with the pressure release from the blow, and something else……. Something metal. Are those?  
“Oh.” She scoffed. “His eyeglasses.”  
“Penetrated to the back of his skull. Babe Ruth couldn’t hit that hard, little own a high school sophomore.” He said.  
“Well maybe if he was under the influence of PCP or some kind of stimulant.” Scully argued.  
“No, his tox screen came back negative.”  
“Well even so,” Scully thought hard to scientifically explain what had happened. “I mean stress and fear may have triggered an adrenaline response. Which is known to enable feats of super human strength.”  
Mulder thought she was so cute when she tried to explain the unexplainable in scientific terms and he let a small smile play over his lips. He was just about to come back with a witty response, or tell her how cute she was, when a voice called out from behind him.  
“Agent Mulder? How long are you planning on being down here?” The man drawled. He was wearing a sheriff’s uniform and looked very uncomfortable with having Mulder and Scully there.  
“Ah Sheriff Harden this is my partner, Agent Scully.” Said Mulder and Scully nodded to the man.  
“How long are you planning on being down here?” he repeated “I’d like Ron left in peace. I don’t know what there is to see anyway, we got the kid who did it.”  
Scully instantly disliked the Sheriff, small town mind and small town attitude she thought. “Sheriff we don’t mean to second guess you, we’re just hoping to be of some assistance.” She said looking at Mulder for support.  
“Well,” Replied the Sheriff. “I don’t need it. I got the murder weapon, with bloody finger prints and once the state crime lab matches that up with Tony Reed its open and shut.”  
Mulder and Scully nodded, it was clear they would not be getting any support from local law enforcement in this town.  
“Well, Ah, Were done here.” Said Mulder looking to Scully to confirm. She nodded at him. “But Sheriff Harden you won’t mind if I talk to Tony Reed do you? I mean it won’t hurt your case and, if he did do it. You’ll want to know why.”  
Sheriff Harden sighed. “Fine, you can follow me over to the police station.” He said and walked out.  
Mulder and Scully exchanged a glance before following the sheriff out of the building.  
They jumped into Mulders rental car and drove up to the intersection where the sheriff was waiting.  
“Well, they sure breed ‘em friendly in Pittsfield.” Joked Mulder.  
“Mulder, that man clearly doesn’t want our help. And if Tony’s finger prints match then maybe he did do it.”  
“Yeah but I’m betting they won’t. It couldn’t be that simple.”  
“You see conspiracies in everything don’t you?” Asked Scully turning to smile at him.  
“That’s because they’re usually there.” He said seriously.  
Scully just shook her head and laughed at him.  
The Sheriff’s station was only a couple of minutes away from the hospital, and as Mulder pulled into a park Sheriff Harden walked over to the car. “We have him in one of our interview rooms, and he has denied his rights to a lawyer.” He drawled at them.  
“Is there a social worker in the room with him?” Scully asked.  
“No.” replied the Sheriff.  
“Sir with all due respect, Tony is a minor, you should never have questioned him without a legal guardian or a social worker present.” She said, she was beginning to get to the end of her tether with this Sheriff.  
“He’s not saying nothing anyway.” Was the only reply she got.  
She shook her head and opened her mouth to reprimand Sheriff Harden but Mulder placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward. “It’s alright Scully.” He murmured softly in her ear.   
Scully sighed but followed the Sheriff into the station.  
As they were heading towards the interview room a small blonde woman brushed past them turning to take Mulder in. Mulder looked back. She looked about sixteen, maybe seventeen, he thought. One of Tony’s friends? He would have to check that out. He must have been staring at the girl, because he felt a pinch at his elbow and turned back to see Scully looking at him. A tiny hint of jealousy could be seen behind her eyes.  
“What?” He laughed. Didn’t she know by now he only had eyes for her? He sauntered into the room feeling rather pleased that he could elicit a response like that from Scully.  
“Well Tony,” He started. “This must be your lucky day for visitors. This is Agent Scully with the FBI.” He said gesturing to his partner.  
“I’m not talking anymore. Okay?” Said Tony as they sat down.   
He was sitting at the desk, he looked tired, but he wasn’t cuffed. Scully saw thankfully. She tried to keep her voice kind. “Well, that might make things worse. They seem pretty bad already.” Tony just looked down at the desk. “In your statement,” Scully continued. “You say that Deputy Foster stopped you, but you don’t say why.” She opened the case file to the statement and pushed it across the desk to Tony.  
He looked up at them like he was going to say something, but then just sighed and looked back down. “Come on, you were cruising, right?” said Mulder, trying to relate to the boy. “I mean, a small town like this, you’re not exactly livin la vida loca.”  
Scully glanced over to her partner, he was so bad at this she thought. It was cute.  
“I know, I grew up in Dullsville, too. You know nothing to do but drive and park.”  
“How long ago was that?” Asked Tony with a smirk on his face. Scully tried not to laugh.  
“Look,” Began Tony. “Don’t you think I know what you’re doing? You’re like the tenth cop who’s come in here trying to relate to me till I confess.”  
“If you didn’t do it, it’s all the more reason to clear it up.” Said Scully.  
But Tony just sat forward in his chair and said. “Everything I know is in my statement.” Staring up at her.  
“Okay, but bear with us because were old and stupid.” Shot Mulder annoyed that this kid was being rude to Scully. “How long was it between the time you heard the scream, to the time that you found Deputy Foster?”  
Tony sat back in his chair and looked at the desk again, Scully thought he looked scared. “Tony, you’re not likely to get a fairer hearing than this.” She told him seriously.  
Tony sighed, defeated. “Maybe ten…… Fifteen seconds.”  
“Okay, but you didn’t see anyone near the patrol car?” Mulder asked “you didn’t hear anything? And you’re still going to stick with your story that you were the only ones there. Is that right?”  
“Ah,” Tony reached up and wiped his eye. He looked to be debating whether or not to tell them the truth.   
Scully leaned in her eyes intent on the boy. “I want to go back to my cell.” Is all he said.  
Mulder sighed, “Okay Tony.” He got up and he and Scully left the room.  
They walked a short distance away and then Scully turned to face Mulder.  
“Sixteen years old and his life is over unless he starts telling the truth.” She said sighing.   
“If you really think he’s guilty, Scully why don’t you ask yourself this: Why wouldn’t he make up a more plausible cover story? Why didn’t he say that, uh, a pickup full of hillbillies drove by and clobbered the deputy and ran away?” he joked, trying to relax his best friend.  
“I’m not saying he’s guilty, Mulder. I’m inclined to agree that Tony Reed did not commit murder, but I think that he saw the person who did, and he may be covering up for him.”  
“I’m not sure there was a person to see.” Mulder interjected “I think there was a force at work here.”  
“What kind of force?” Asked Scully already knowing where this was going.  
“I don’t know. Some kind of territorial or spiritual entity maybe. Poltergeists have long been associated with violent acts like this. And they tend to manifest around young people. They seem to be drawn to the turmoil of adolescence.”  
Scully had listened to this speech, or ones like it, thousands of times before. And she wasn’t prepared to go down the rabbit hole with Mulder this time.  
Suddenly she had an idea. “Mulder.” She said and reached out to play with his tie. “Rather than spirits, can we at least, start with Tony’s friends?” She looked into his eyes. “Please? Just……… For me?” she could see that she had him. I will have to remember to pull this trick out more often she thought to herself. “I think there’s one person in particular I’d like to talk to.”  
Mulder gave her a look, of course she meant the girl she thought he had been giving eyes too. But he wasn’t going to give her the upper hand by explaining what he had been thinking when he had seen the girl. He knew what she had just done, and he was going to make sure that she paid of it later. He though wickedly.  
“Well then it’s lucky that she came in here, we can just check the visitors log and get her name.” he said.  
They walked up to the reception desk, Scully smiled at the receptionist. “Hi we would like to see the visitors log for Tony Reed please.” She said sweetly.  
“Sure thing.” Said the girl, her name tag read Kirsty. She reached over to the filing cabinet and grabbed a folder that was sitting on top. “Here you go.”  
“Thanks.” Replied Scully and looked at the list. It was short, just his mother and one other name. Chastity Raines. “Can you pull up your records on this person?” Scully asked the receptionist pointing at Chastity’s name.  
“You bet.” Replied Kirsty and began typing on her computer. “Chastity Raines, sixteen, she just got her learners permit six months ago. Want me to give you her address?”  
“No that won’t be necessary.” Replied Mulder. “Tell me what street is the local high school on?”  
Scully looked up at him following his thinking, she checked the time. It was 2:28 PM. Just enough time to get down to the school and catch Tony’s friend before school let out.  
Mulder wrote down the address and thanked the receptionist. As they turned to leave Mulder rested his hand in the small of Scully’s back. She smiled, it felt good having him touch her. As they walked out to the car park she had to fight the urge to snake her arm around his waist.  
They got in the car and after consulting the map, headed down to Adams High School. It looked like any other mid-western high school, and Scully had seen a lot of them. Same big front building with steps, and the schools name printed over the entry way. Same locker filled hallways and numbered classrooms. Same administration office with glass walls and cheap blinds hanging, looking dirty and dishevelled. You wouldn’t have been able to tell looking at Scully, how ridged she was. But she had moved around a lot growing up, she guessed that’s just the way it was when you were a navy brat. But every time they moved her mother would tell her it was the last time, and every time Scully had believed her. By the time she had reached her senior year Scully had attended fifteen different high schools across the country and one in Japan. That probably had a lot to do with why she was so reserved and stand offish, it’s hard to make friends and build relationships when you don’t know if you were shipping out next month. Thankfully for Scully by the time she hit her junior year her parents had settled in Annapolis. It was there that she made her first real friend, had her first boyfriend, and had a date to prom. She sighed looking around. So many memories.  
“You alright Scully?” Mulder asked concern on his face.  
“What? Oh, yeah I’m fine Mulder, I was just thinking about how all these schools look the same.” She replied.  
“Yeah but not all schools have haunted teenagers running around in them.” Replied Mulder with a smile.  
She smiled back at him. “And neither does this one.”  
“Okay Scully, if you say so.” He said and turned to the receptionist that had walked over to the desk in the office. “Hi there, Agents Mulder and Scully.” He flashed his badge “could you tell us where we might find Chastity Raines?”  
“Is she in any trouble?” Asked the receptionist clearly concerned with having the FBI at her School.  
Scully flashed her a smile. “No mam, we were just hoping to talk to her.”  
“Is this about Tony Reed?” she asked.  
“What do you know about Tony?” Asked Mulder.  
“People are saying he killed a cop, I remember when he first came in here a few months ago. He didn’t look like a killer to me, he was a nice kid.”  
“That’s what we are trying to look into.” Replied Scully. “Can you tell us where we can find Chastity?”  
“Oh sure thing, just give me a second.” Said the receptionist typing away at her computer. “She has Science with Mr Babbitt, that’s in room 403 just head out the door and make a left it’s about half way up on the right. But you might want to hurry, classes are over in a couple of minutes.”  
“Thank you.” said Scully and she and Mulder turned and headed out in the direction the receptionist had given.  
They reached the classroom just as the bell rang, so they waited outside for the girl to appear.  
“Chastity Raines.” called Scully as Mulder put his arm out to stop the girl. “I’m Agent Scully.” Scully held out her badge. “This is Agent Mulder, we’re with the FBI.”  
“Yeah I remember you.” Said Chastity once again looking Mulder up and down before turning away and walking a short distance to her locker.  
They moved to follow her. “Chastity, what did you and Tony talk about this morning?” Asked Mulder.  
“He didn’t kill that cop.” Said Chastity, a look of disgust washed across her face.  
“How can you be so sure?” Asked Mulder.  
“Tony just doesn’t have it in him.” She replied stopping at her locker.  
“Do you?” Asked Scully staring at the young girl.  
Chastity looked at the Agents and the severe looks on their faces. She turned back to her locker, clearly that question didn’t warrant a response. So Mulder followed. “Were you there when it happened?”  
The girl reached in her locker to grab out her letter jacket. “Look, I gotta go.” She said closing her locker and sliding the jacket on.  
“Do you realize that Tony could go to prison for the rest of his life for this?” Asked Scully.  
Chastity paused thinking about her friend. “Chastity, if you know something, now is the time to mention it.” Pushed Mulder, but as he finished a tall young man with the beginnings of facial hair walked up behind Chastity. Mulder looked down at the notebook the young man was carrying. It had the name MAX HARDEN drawn on it in graffiti style, Must be the Sheriffs son thought Mulder.  
Young Harden spoke up. “Unless they got a warrant,” He said to Chastity. “You don’t have to say nothing.” He looked into Mulders eyes, daring him to start something.  
“Wow, you must be her lawyer.” He joked.  
“Let’s go.” Said Max to Chastity.  
But Mulder wasn’t finished yet, he still had once card to play with the angry young man, “Gee, butting into our investigation. I wonder what your father, the Sheriff, would think.”  
Max looked away, startled. “How do you know who my dad is?” He asked.  
Mulder let out a smile, he had won that battle of wills. He gestured at the notebook. “You got the same last name.”  
Max looked down at his notebook, “Oh your good, were done here.” He put his arm around Chastity. “Come on babe.” As they walked past the two Agents Max slowed and looked Scully up and down. “You must have been a betty back in the day.” He said to her and walked off.  
Mulder and Scully turned to watch the pair leave, “A Betty?” asked Scully.  
“Back in the day.” Replied Mulder.  
Just then Scully’s cell phone rang, she answered it “Scully.”  
“Agent Scully.” Replied an anxious voice. “The murder weapon. I don’t know how but, I can’t understand. It was locked up tight.”  
“What about the murder weapon?” Scully asked.  
“It’s gone! It’s not possible,”  
“Okay, don’t touch anything we will be right there.” Said Scully hanging up the phone. Mulder was looking at her with concern. “They lost the murder weapon.” She said to him.  
“Yeah I got that, let’s go.” Said Mulder grabbing Scully’s arm lightly and leading her back to the schools entrance. “Thing in this case are getting more and more spooky huh Scully.” He said letting an excited smile cross his face.  
She looked at him, wary that he was getting too worked up. They still needed to catch the nine o’clock flight home, and she didn’t have a change of clothes. She hoped he wouldn’t want to spend the night in this sleepy town. “Let’s just wait and see what we turn up at the station.” She admonished.   
Mulder looked down at her no nonsense expression. “Awe Scully, your no fun.” He teased, but she looked annoyed rather than charmed at him. He looked down confused as to why she would be angry. Suddenly he realised, they had skipped lunch, no wonder she was annoyed, he made note of the local diners as they drove past on their way to the Sheriff’s Station. He would take Scully to lunch as soon as they were done.  
They pulled into the station and were surprised to find Sheriff Harden waiting for them in the parking lot. They only had time to open the car doors before he started speaking to them.  
“It was locked up in an evidence locker, cameras on it and everything.” He began but Mulder held up a hand.   
“Show us.”  
Together they walked into the station and around to the back rooms, the Sheriff unlocked a cage door that led into a room filled with lockers. He walked over to one of the lockers which was wide open. “All I know is, we put the flashlight in here, and now it’s gone. It’s like it just disappeared into thin air.”  
Scully looked around the room and asked, “How many people have access to this evidence room?” Mulder had crouched down and was looking at something on the floor.  
“Only me and the dozen deputies under my command.” Said Sheriff Harden.  
Scully nodded up at the security camera in the corner of the room. It pointed directly at the locker and was likely to have caught who ever stole the weapon on film. “What does the tape show?” She asked.  
“That no unauthorized persons came in, and no one went anywhere near this locker.” Said the Sheriff.  
Mulder had peeled some black gloopy substance off of the floor and was smelling it. It smelt like plastic he thought, looking at it thoughtfully. “Was this here before?” He asked holding the streak of plastic out so that the Sheriff and Scully could see.  
“I don’t know,” Replied the Sheriff.  
“Can we take a look at the surveillance tape?” Asked Scully. She wasn’t worried about whatever Mulder was playing with, she knew that nothing disappears without a trace. The camera must have seen something. The sheriff nodded and led them out of the room and across the hall to the surveillance room. There was a small TV set up in one corner of the room. The tape in question was already paused on the screen. Scully sat down on the single chair and Mulder came to stand behind her. The Sheriff walked around to the other side and grabbed the remote.  
He hit the play button and Mulder and Scully watched two deputies lock the flashlight into the locker. “You can see that the flashlight was properly secured.” He said fast forwarding the tape. “It’s not like we’re running some kind of half-assed operation here.”  
“No one is saying that you are, Sheriff.” Scully said comfortingly.  
“Here’s when the state police showed up to take it to the crime lab.” Said the Sheriff, pressing play on the tape. “There’s me, going to get it.” He pointed at the screen. “We open up the locker, and its gone.” He finished perplexed.  
“I Maybe, uh, didn’t give y’all the warmest welcome, but if you have any ideas……” He trailed off.  
Mulder nodded to the man and reached out for the remote, “May I?” he asked.  
“I watched it a dozen times.” Said the Sheriff handing over the remote. Mulder started playing with the tape.  
“Could there be a malfunction with the VCR?” Asked Scully, still certain that there would be some kind of evidence of tampering.  
“I don’t see how.” Responded the Sheriff. “Plus theirs no gap in the time code.” He gave a long sigh. “The murder weapon was the only hard evidence we had. Without it, we got no case. You know what I gotta do now? I got to call Ron Fosters widow and tell her that I gotta turn his killer loose.” He nodded at the Agents and walked away to make his phone call.  
Mulder, who had been studying the screen suddenly paused the image. “Scully, check this out.” He said pressing the play button.  
Scully looked at the TV, the room looked quiet, one deputy was sitting at a desk in the top left of the screen, doing paperwork. She squinted. “What am I supposed to be seeing?” She asked.  
“Oh, here it comes.” Replied Mulder.  
They watched the screen together and all of a sudden there was a blur that came across the image. Mulder hit the pause button. “Now, you see it. One more frame.” He clicked the remote and the blur disappeared. “Now you don’t. What do you make of that Scully? He rewound the tape. “Take another look. Now it’s here, now it’s not. What do you think it is?”  
Scully frowned, it was a blur! She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it could be. “Let’s see if we can get a copy of the tape. Maybe we can get it analysed back at Quantico?” she asked. She was tired and hungry and couldn’t think anymore.  
Mulder nodded and went to ask the deputy who had been waiting at the back of the room if they could get a copy. Then he pulled out his phone and made a call to his friend.  
“Hey Chuck, I have something you might be interested in.”  
“Hey Mulder, what’s that?” Mulder’s friend asked.  
“I’m working on a case down in Virginia, and I have some security tape that looks like maybe it has a spectral image on it.”  
“Sounds interesting, what do you think it is?”   
“I’m thinking maybe a poltergeist, but I’m not sure. If I drop in into your in tray tonight do you think you could have a look at it for me? It will be late, probably after eleven.” He said pacing around the hallway.  
“Yeah that’s fine, I was planning on coming in early tomorrow anyway. How bout I meet you in your office at around 8:30 tomorrow morning, I would have had a couple of hours to play with it by then.”  
“Sounds good, see you then Chuck.” Said Mulder and hung up the phone.   
He walked back into the room to find Scully waiting for him. “I don’t know about you Scully, but I could eat a horse. Want to check out the diner up the street?” he asked.  
“Yes please.” Scully responded looking forward to what she hoped was good coffee and warm food.

****  
The coffee was terrible, but at five o’clock in the afternoon Scully wasn’t surprised. It had probably been brewing all day. At least the food was good she thought and looked across the booth at her partner. He had ordered the all-day breakfast buffet and was currently chowing down on his sausage and eggs with vigour. She couldn’t understand where he put all that food. He was naturally quite lean and Scully now knew from personal experience, that he had very little fat on his body. Her face reddened a shade thinking about his body.  
She had chosen the chicken salad, it was okay she supposed. Quite good as far as salads go, but she couldn’t help eyeing of the bacon that sat on her partner’s plate.  
“How’s the salad.” Asked Mulder watching her stare wistfully at his bacon rashes. He never understood why she ate like a bird, she was so tiny. And she definitely didn’t need to watch her weight. Mulder wished she would live a little sometimes.  
“It’s good.” She replied non-committedly, Mulder had a drop of Barbeque sauce on the side of his face. Scully laughed as she moved her hand to wipe it off. She froze as she saw his eye widen and realised what that must have looked like to the other people in the diner. She pulled her hand back and dropped it into her lap, looking down at her plate.  
They sat there in silence for the rest of the meal and when they had finished Mulder picked up the check making sure to tuck the receipt into his coat pocket, it would go into their expenditures report when they got home. He and Scully headed back to the hospital where Scully had left her rental car that morning and she got into her car and followed him out as he set off on there one hour journey to Roanoke airport.  
Thank god traffic was better than this morning Scully thought and looked at her watch. 5:45. She sighed, even if they got there in record time she still had a good three hour wait before their flight left. She wondered what Mulder was thinking as she stared at the tail lights of his rental car in front of her. She shouldn’t have touched his face like that at the diner. It was so stupid, just thoughtless, and careless. She reprimanded herself. She knew that she and Mulder could never be a couple anywhere but behind closed doors. And even then….. Was that what they were? How had they managed to spend an entire week in each other’s company, her effectively living with him for that week and not have had the conversation about what they were to each other? She knew that Mulder was her best friend, and her partner, but boyfriend? That word seemed strange and simplistic, lover? She tried, but felt herself shy away from any and all words that denoted love in any form. She still hadn’t thought about what she felt for him. It was too hard, complex and confusing. She pushed it away and turned on the radio distracting herself with the popular music station.  
Mulder sighed and looked at his rear view mirror. He could see the outline of his partner as she sat in the car behind him. He wished he hadn’t reacted like that back in the diner. He had just been so used to always being the one to initiate contact, it had taken him by surprise when she had reached out and touched his face. He had seen the hurt run across her eyes before her walls snapped back into place. He knew she wouldn’t try something like that again. He thought back to the way she had casually played with his tie at the Sheriff’s station, he hadn’t noticed it then, but Scully was finally letting him in. and then he went and ruined it. He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. He knew he needed to go at her pace to make this work. But he never knew whether the next thing out of his mouth was going to make her shut down again. Being with Scully was the hardest and most fulfilling thing that he had ever done in his life.  
****  
After they arrived in Roanoke and returned the rental cars. Mulder and Scully set off in search of a decent cup of coffee. They still had hours before their flight back to D.C so they needed a pick me up for the wait. Scully had walked in to a twenty four hour diner and was waiting as the waitress put on a fresh pot for the two. Mulder was waiting outside, he thought it best not to remind Scully of their last diner experience. He looked around the street and saw a used book store across the road with its open sign out and its lights on. He turn to look at Scully through the window, and saw that she was happily chatting to the waitress while she waited for their coffees. She wouldn’t miss me for a minute, the thought and crossed the street. He was inundated with the smell as he walked inside. That wonderful musty old book smell, there was nothing in the world like it. He strolled through the shelves looking at the eclectic variety, there didn’t seem to be any order to the books and some were stacked on top of each other haphazardly. He had just picked up a copy of Dickens a Tale of Two Cities when he saw an old hard back book poking out on the bottom shelf. He reached down and picked it up, it was Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, and it was a first edition. He walked over to the counter with his finds.  
“How much?” He asked the old man who was sitting by the counter with a book in his hands.   
The man gave a token glance at Mulder and the books in his hands, before going back to the book he was reading. “Fifty dollars plus taxes.” He said his voice was gruff like he was out of practice speaking. And Mulder reached into his wallet and put the cash down on the counter.  
“Thank you.” He said to the man, but he didn’t look up. Mulder shrugged put the books in his coat pocket and headed outside.   
He was half way across the street when Scully came out of the diner, two large Styrofoam cups in her small hands. He jogged over to meet her.  
“Mulder.” She said with a curious look in her eyes. “Where did you go?”   
“Oh I thought that bookshop over there.” He said pointing in the direction he had just came from. “Was an Adult Bookshop. But alas I was mistaken.” He joked.  
“Of course you did.” Said Scully rolling her eyes.  
“Hey, there was a cute little park up the street a bit, did you want to go sit down with our coffees there?” Mulder asked.  
Scully couldn’t think of anything else to better pass the time so she said yes and they headed off to the park.  
It was dark when they got there but the tables were well lit and visible from the street so it looked safe enough. Scully sat down on one of the chairs after checking to make sure it was clear of bird droppings and Mulder sprawled himself out over the table on his back.  
“Mulder, people have to eat there.” Scully said slightly exasperated. But Mulder just ignored her and rolled onto his side so he was facing her.  
“Hey Scully, I… Um… Got you something.” He said reaching into his coat pocket. Scully’s eyes went wide when he pulled out the books that he had hidden in his coat. He handed her the Jane Austin, “I wasn’t sure what you liked but I got a Dickens novel too, I thought it would be a nice way to pass the time.”  
“Mulder!” Said Scully turning the book over in her hands. “This is a first edition! How did you find it? It must have cost a small fortune.” Although Jane Austin was a widely read classic author, to find a good condition copy of a first edition was extremely rare.  
“It just called to me I guess.” Said Mulder. “Do you like it?” he asked looking deep into her eyes.  
She leaned in and kissed him. “I do like it, very much, thank you Mulder.” She said with a smile and turned around in her seat to rest her back against the table. She opened the book to a random page and breathed in deeply, she loved the smell of old books. She turned to page one and started reading.  
Mulder had been watching Scully as she turned around and he smiled to see her breathing in the pages. I guess she likes the smell of old books as much as me. He thought with a laugh and he rested his head in one of his hands while he held open the book with the other. They stayed like that until it was time to leave for their flight.   
****  
After they had disembarked the airplane in D.C and made their way to the front of the terminal, Mulder turned to say goodnight to Scully. He was walking over to the bank of cabs when he heard Scully call out.  
“Mulder, you didn’t drive?” She asked.  
“No, but its ok I have to stop in at work anyway to drop off that tape.” He said patting the front pocket of his overnight bag, which held the security tape from the Pittsfield Sheriff’s office.  
“It’s okay, I can drive you.” Scully said walking over to him.  
“You sure Scully? It’s a good twenty minutes out of you way, and I figured you were tired.” He said looking into her eyes.  
“Yes its fine, after all you did buy me that wonderful book.” She replied smiling up at him.   
So they walked to her car and drove to the Federal Building, when they pulled up in the parking lot Mulder asked Scully to wait for him. He was just going to run the tape in and be right back.   
As she waited Scully had a wicked idea.  
When he jumped back in the car ten minutes later Scully said nothing as she made the short trip to her house.  
“Ah, Scully I think you might have forgotten I was here.” Said Mulder sheepishly, she really must be tired he thought.  
“Nope.” She replied and flashed him a seductive smile. “You have your overnight bag, you are staying at my place tonight.”  
“Well, okay Scully.” He said a smile forming on his lips.  
He could feel the crackle of electricity as they exited the vehicle and walked side by side towards the door of the building. They were so close that they were practically touching, but the slight distance between them made it even more maddening. They quickened their pace as they reached the landing to Scully’s floor and within a minute they were inside her apartment. She closed the door and turned to him, still in darkness. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear.  
“I still have to thank you for that book.” She said in a breathy whisper. And laughed when Mulder rushed to remove his coat.


	12. Are We Too Old?

Jan 11 2000 7:00 AM  
Both Mulder and Scully awoke to the screeching sounds of Scully’s alarm clock and Scully quickly detangled herself from Mulders embrace to switch it off. She flopped back down and reached over for him but he was already sitting up  
“Five more minutes!” She whined, and Mulder was instantly transported back to a teenage Scully fighting with her mother about being late for school.  
He shook his head smiling and said. “I’ll put on the coffee.”  
As he left the room he stopped to look at the hallway he saw a trail of discarded clothing leading from the bedroom to the front door. He laughed to himself and went about picking them all up.  
After putting Scully’s clothes in the hamper and slipping on a pair of slacks, the rest of his clothes were shoved unceremoniously into his bag. He headed into the kitchen to start the coffee when he heard the shower going, at least she was up he thought. He grabbed out some bread and made himself some toast, he wasn’t sure how long Scully would be in the shower for so he figured it was best not to make her anything yet. He did however pour her coffee into a mug to cool, hopefully it would be just right when she got out.  
As he put his plate in the sink he heard her call out. “Showers free!”  
“Okay!” he called back, grabbed his bag and headed for the bathroom.  
Scully was still in the room when he walked in, she was wrapped in a towel and using another to dry her hair. He walked up to her and kissed her shoulder. “Good morning, I made you a coffee, it’s in the kitchen.”  
“Oh, thank you.” She said and turned around to kiss him properly. It scared her how easy it was to get used to having Mulder around all the time.  
He placed his bag on the caddie in the bath and took off his slacks and jumped in the shower. She pulled out her hair dryer and started to blow straight the annoying curls her hair seemed determined she should have. By the time she was done Mulder had turned off the shower and she held out a towel for him. He took it and towelled off while she brushed her teeth, then she left the bathroom to go get dressed and he brushed his. He was amazed at how they didn’t seem to get in each other’s way when going about their morning routines. It had taken him almost years to get to that level of comfortable with Diana, but he and Scully were doing it on the first take.  
He had just finished dressing when Scully walked back in coffee in hand and set herself up in front of the mirror. He knew that she probably wouldn’t enjoy him watching her while she did her make up. So he asked her if she wanted some toast and left to make her breakfast.  
Thanks to Mulder helping with the coffee and breakfast Scully was ready for work extra early today. So when they pulled up at work at 8:00 they decided to grab a coffee and go for a walk before heading in.  
It was 8:20 when they finally made it down to the office and Mulders friend was already there, sitting at Mulders desk typing away on his laptop.  
“Hey Chuck.” Said Mulder walking in and removing his coat.  
“Sorry to make you trek over here for what’s probably a glitch.” Said Scully walking in behind him  
“What did you come up with?” Asked Mulder throwing his coat over the back of the chair Chuck had just vacated.  
Chuck sighed. “Nothing but eyestrain at first.” He said as Mulder patted him on the back and sat down in the chair. Scully had perched herself on the end of the desk. “But then I ran it through my imaging software. I’m here to tell you. It’s not a glitch. It’s what the camera saw.”  
Mulder looked up at his partner. “Buckle up Scully, I believe Chuck is about to take us on a ride through the paranormal.” He said and smiled at his friend.  
“Well, yes and no.” Replied Chuck “Initially I was thinking, spectral manifestation. But, uh, with spirit activity you would expect to see light streaks, auras, atmospheric disturbances, translucent figures. Whatever this is…… it’s not a ghost.  
“Especially since ghosts don’t go around leaving synthetic polymers in their wake.” Agreed Scully.  
“That’s what the gunk on the floor turned out to be.” Explained Mulder, they had received the call from the state crime lab when they were on their walk.  
“Ah,” Said Chuck. “I dig a mystery with layers.”  
Mulder looked up at him. “Chuck I get the feeling you don’t know what the hell this is.”  
Chuck sighed. “I cross referenced the shape silhouette against every organic and inorganic object in the Library of Congress database. The closest match was a soviet Akula-class Submarine.”  
Scully nodded. “I think we can rule that out.”  
“And then there’s this weirdness.” Said Chuck tapping on the keys of his laptop. My enhancement brought up this dark edge around the anomaly.”  
Mulder looked at the image on the computer. “A shadow.” He said.  
“It would fit with the lighting in the room. The problem is, it can’t be throwing a shadow unless….”  
“Unless it’s a solid object.” Finished Mulder.  
“Which is impossible,” added Scully. “Because it only appears for a single frame.”  
“One thirtieth of a second.” Agreed Chuck. “Now, maybe, uh SCAG can give us a clearer picture.”  
“Scag?” Asked Scully.  
“Spectrographic Colour Attribute Generator. I’m beta testing it for JPL. It’s still in the tweaking phase, but the basic idea is I assign know colour values onto the black and white image.” He said clicking on objects in the picture. “Then SCAG assigns chromatic values throughout the frame, in effect making an educated guess at what all the colours might be.”  
He pushed a key and the black and white image turned into a full colour shot and the blur stood out with purple red and yellow. “It still need fine tuning.” Apologised Chuck, but Mulder was looking at the colour blur intently. He knew what it was!  
“What? Asked Scully looking at Mulder’s face.  
“You recognise these colours, Scully?” He asked. She looked closely at the image. Of course it was a letter jacket from Adams high school.  
****  
They had already made travel arrangements that morning to head back to Pittsfield and were stepping off the 10:30 flight in Roanoke, when they received the call. There had been another supernatural death, this one in front of fifty teenagers as they ate their lunches. Mulder and Scully hurriedly made their way to the rental car place at the airport and hit the road. They got into Pittsfield at around 12:30. The car park to the school was filled with the cars of concerned parents coming to collect their kids.  
Scully sighed as the got out of the car and crossed the street. It was no better inside, teenagers were pushed up against all the windows and doors that led to the cafeteria. The kids who had actually witnessed the event were in the music room, the largest room in the building. Scully went by systematically interviewing the kids as they all told her the same story. She wasn’t surprised to see Tony, Max and Chastity were amongst the witnesses and purposely ignored them. After the tenth interview telling the same story she decided to catch up with Mulder, who had gone to investigate the scene and asked the teachers to get the names and contact information of the remaining kids in case she needed it.  
She walked over to the cafeteria and pushed her way through the crowd of adolescents. “Excuse me.” She repeated until she made it through the throngs and into the scene. She walked up to Mulder and he turned to look at her.  
“I’ll show you my theory if you show me yours.” He flirted.  
“Based on the eyewitness accounts of the students I spoke to, at this moment I’d have to say that I don’t have one.” She said staring at the victim in front of her.  
The victim, a Mr Babbitt, had been slammed into the wall with such force that it had pushed him into the wall. There was a table pushed into his middle almost slicing him in two, and a chair thrust through the wall flattening his head in place.  
“What about for these globs of goo?” Asked Mulder holding up more of the synthetic polymer.  
“The ones we found in the evidence room?” Scully asked.  
“Yep,” Agreed Mulder. “I’m guessing Max Harden could tell us how they got there.”  
“You think Max did this?” Scully asked, not sure where Mulder was going with this. “Based on what?”  
“I spoke to a few students myself. Apparently Max was angry at Mr Babbitt because he failed him on his midterm exam, so he had motive.”  
“Well he may have had motive, but he didn’t have opportunity.” Scully countered. “There was nobody here who saw him even go near the victim.”  
“Maybe he didn’t need to.” Mulder said and Scully looked at him with disbelief. “I pulled his records. Rising attendance and discipline problems over the last few months, but look at his transcript.” He showed her his grades, all A’s. “As his behaviour was getting worse his grades were going through the roof. This kid has changed Scully.”  
“Well, Mulder he’s a teenager. Everything about him is changing. His body, his brain chemistry is in a state of unparalleled upheaval, plus there peer pressure and substance abuse. Any one of these factors could alter his behaviour radically.” She said.  
“What if it’s given him a kind of psychokinetic or paranormal ability that allows him to exert force over a victim without ever laying a finger on him?” said Mulder excitedly.  
“That’s your theory?” said Scully sighing.  
“Yes, it is. Soon to be proven.” Said Mulder confidently. “As soon as I get Max in for questioning.”  
Ah huh, sure thought Scully, as a Deputy walked up to them.  
“Agent, you needed to speak with Sheriff Harden?”  
“Yeah.” Said Mulder “I want to talk to him about his son.”  
“Uh, He’s with him now. They’re taking him to the emergency room. Max just collapsed in the parking lot.”  
They turned to look at each other.  
“Well agent Scully, care to take a drive with me to the local hospital?” asked Mulder.  
“Yes, lets.” Said Scully and they walked back to the car.  
They got in and Mulder started the car and pulled out heading for the hospital. “You know Scully, I bet Max collapsed because he over exerted himself with the murder. Maybe his brain shut down.”  
“He probably collapsed because he just watched one of his teachers get pinned to the wall like a beetle, Mulder. I saw plenty of hysteric kids while I was interviewing the witnesses.”  
“Well, I guess we will see Scully.”  
When they got to the hospital they asked for directions to Max’s room and headed there. Sheriff Harding was standing by the end of the bed when they walked in. He turned to follow them in.  
“What, No candy?” joked Max “No flowers?” Mulder gave him a look, smart mouth little shit, he thought to himself, I’m going to get you.  
“My Deputy told me you were coming and why.” Said the Sheriff. “So you can just turn right around. Whatever the hell happened at that school my son didn’t do it.”  
“Sheriff we’d like to ask your son some questions. If that’s okay.” Said Scully  
“The boys sick. The doctors can’t even say what’s wrong with him.” Argued the Sheriff.  
“Well, Max could tell them.” Said Mulder. “You know why you collapsed, don’t you Max?”  
Scully lifted Max’s chart up to have a look at the Doctors report. She check for abnormal brain function but there was nothing there.  
“Yeah too much teen spirit.” Max spat at Mulder.  
“You think?” Said Mulder. “Smells like murder to me.”  
“Who do you think you’re talking to here?” the Sheriff piped up with.  
“Yeah. It’s not like you got a damn thing on me.” Agreed Max.  
“You got a problem with authority figures, don’t you Max?” Mulder teased, hoping to get a rise out of the kid.”  
“If I wasted Babbitt then how did I do it? Am I, like, Carrie or something?” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “I used some kind of mental powers?” He coughed.  
“No, something else.” Said Mulder, he knew it couldn’t be telepathy. This kid hated authority too much to tell the truth, even if he thought no one would believe him. “You figured out a way to tap into something that gives you superhuman powers. Came in handy with Babbitt and Deputy Foster.”  
There was an awkward pause in the room while everyone processed what Mulder had said. Scully was used to his wild theories by now, and the reactions that they pulled out of people. So she was not surprised in the least when Max said.  
“Man, your whistling Dixie.”  
She kept reading his chart.  
“High temperature and heart rate, low blood sugar, Electrolytes show acidosis. All of these symptoms are consistent with extreme exertion, and withdrawal.” She said looking up at Max.  
“Withdrawal?” Asked the Sheriff. “From What?”  
“The rush.” Said Mulder. “I think that whatever it is that gives you the power to rearrange furniture and turn a flashlight into a battering ram, also gives you quite a buzz.”  
“Well if I can do all that, then what’s stopping me from doing it to you?” Max threatened.  
“I don’t know. Maybe the effects worn off. Maybe you need another fix.” Said Mulder.  
“As soon as I blow out of here I’ll be sure to get one.” Said Max in the same threatening tone.  
“That’s not going to happen anytime soon.” Said Scully. “Your condition is getting worse, and we’re not going to be able to help you, unless you can tell us what’s going on.”  
Sheriff Harden shuffled back and forwards on his feet. “Boy, is any of this true?” He asked his son.  
“No.” Said Max softly  
“You better pray I don’t find out it is.”  
“Sir.” Said Mulder softly to the Sheriff. “Can we have a word outside?”  
The three of them left Max in his bed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.  
“He’s not a bad kid.” Said the Sheriff. “He just need discipline.”  
“If your son is in trouble, I’m sure you’d want to know about it.” Said Mulder. “With that in mind, we’d like your permission to search your house.”  
The man Scoffed. “Well you’re not getting it. I’m not ready to jump on a bandwagon and call my boy a murderer.” And with that he walked away.  
Scully turned to Mulder. “There’s some test results missing from Max’s chart, I think we should track them down.”  
Mulder nodded and they walked up to the nurse’s station, Scully handed Max’s chart to a nurse as she walked by. While Scully ordered the missing test results, Mulder stood meditating on Max Harden. He knew that Max was there man, but how? It obviously wasn’t telepathy, at whatever it was, it wore off. It definitely affected him physically, but both deaths had witnesses and no one had seen him move. Rush, it has something to do with the rush.  
“It’s going to take a little while.” Said Scully knocking him out of his ponder. “Want to get some lunch?”  
“Hospital food, Scully?” Said Mulder grimacing.  
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not that bad at the café, come on, I’m buying.” She said and pulled along by the arm.  
The Café as Scully had called it had turned out to be very similar to a school cafeteria, and just as unappealing. But they had sandwiches in the fridge that didn’t look to bad, so Scully grabbed out a couple and a bottle of diet coke each.  
“Thanks.” Said Mulder as she handed him the food.  
They sat there looking at all the people coming and going, most looked stressed, or sad but everyone looked like they had a story to tell, so it was interesting enough to keep them occupied while they ate. When they were done they headed back to the nurses station, who gave them a file with all of Max’s medical information and directed them to an unused exam room where they could read the x rays.  
As Scully put up the numerous x rays she commented “Hot off the presses”  
“Anything interesting?” asked Mulder.  
But as Scully read the information she was confused. “This can’t be right.” She said.  
“What is it?”  
She checked the details to be sure they had the right medical files. “Oh my God,”  
“What?” Mulder asked looking closer at the X rays.  
“Evidence of cerebral lesions from repeated concussions. Arthritis in his spine and major joints. Stress fractures, numerous muscle and ligament micro-tears.”  
“What would cause this?” asked Mulder.  
“In a teenager? I can’t even imagine.” She said looking at him. The damage was incredible, she wasn’t sure how he was still walking around the pain would have been unbearable. “This is the kind of thing that you’d see in someone who has crashed race cars, or played pro football for fifteen years.” She shook her head. “Whatever Max is doing, it’s killing him.”  
“I think I’m starting to get it.” He said looking at Scully.  
She looked back, still clueless. “Well what is it?” she asked.  
“No, not yet Scully, I need to check something first. Can we get Max’s stuff?” He was ninety percent sure on how Max was killing his victims the one thing he needed to tie this all together was the answer to the synthetic polymer that they had found.  
Scully and Mulder walked back to the nurse’s station and asked for Max’s personal effects. She reached down under the desk and pulled out a plastic bag, which had the clothes he had been wearing when he collapsed in it. They took it back to the exam room.  
“Max Harden’s personal effects.” Announced Mulder opening the bag.  
“Yeah.” Said Scully curious at what Mulders hunch was.  
He rifled through the bag until he came across the young man’s shoes. He turned them over and looked at the soles. “Oh…. This is it! Those globs we found, this is where they came from.”  
He showed Scully the shoe, the sole looked melted, like it had been burned. She looked up at him to find out what it meant. “Speed, Scully. Somehow Max Harden has found a way to move faster than the eye can see.”  
“Mulder.” Began Scully that was impossible. But he cut her off.  
“That would explain how Babbitt was killed. It would also explain how a chair and a table appeared to move on their own, with enough force to penetrate a wall. Force equals mass times acceleration, isn’t that right?”  
“Yes Mulder, but it’s impossible. The human body just isn’t designed to move like that.” Said Scully.  
“Exactly! That is why his is falling apart.” Said Mulder excitedly, pointing at the x rays.  
Scully was about to argue with him when the door opened and a nurse rushed in.  
“Agents!” Said the nurse. “Could you?” She gestured at them “the patient, Max’s Harding, he’s gone.”  
They quickly left the room headed for Max’s room, sure enough he was gone.  
They looked at each other, they had to find him. Max’s attacks were getting more violent. And more frequent, if they didn’t find him soon he would most definitely kill again.  
“Where would he go?” Asked Scully, “He couldn’t even walk.”  
“He’s gone to get another fix.” Said Mulder. “We need to find out where he is getting his power from.”  
They wracked their brains. “Okay, Max has a problem with authority right?” Said Mulder.  
“I think that’s abundantly clear.” Replied Scully, following his thinking. She looked up. “Mulder, the Sheriff!”  
They ran out the door Mulder, calling the Sheriff’s office on the way. “He’s at home Scully, I got the address, and there are uniforms on the way.”  
“Let’s hope we’re not too late.” Said Scully as they entered the car.  
****  
When they arrived at the sheriff’s house there were police cars and officers milling around, as they got out an ambulance pulled up. They hurried over to a deputy. “What happened?” Scully asked the officer.  
“We found the sheriff on the floor, he’s hurt real bad.”  
“But he’s alive?” She asked. The deputy nodded, Scully turned to Mulder. “I’m going to ride with the Sheriff to the hospital.”  
“Okay, I’m going to check out the scene I will meet you there.” Replied Mulder, and Scully walked off towards the ambulance. Mulder walked in to check out the scene.  
The EMT’s were loading the Sheriff on to a stretcher, there was no blood, and Mulder didn’t know if that was a good sign, a police issue flashlight was sitting on the floor. “Bag that, will you.” He said to one of the deputies, gesturing at the flashlight. He sighed and looked around the house.  
Up in Max’s bedroom he found twenty identical pairs of sneakers like the ones they had checked at the hospital. Hmm he thought, I guess he burns through them. He headed back downstairs picking up the flashlight on his way back to the car.  
****  
He saw Scully walking ahead of him down the hospital corridor. She was following the Sheriff and the team of hospital staff that were caring for him.  
“Yo, Scully!” he called and jogged to catch up with her. She stopped and turned to face him as he came up to her. “How bad are his injuries?”  
“Well, it’s too soon to tell. He’s unconscious and bleeding internally, apparently from a blow to the abdomen.” She said.  
“Yeah, Delivered with this.” Said Mulder holding up the flashlight. “Max’s weapon of choice against cops.”  
“Why would he leave it behind?” Scully asked “you think he’s doing it to taunt the police?”  
“No,” said Mulder. “I think somebody intervened. I think that’s why the Sheriff’s still alive, and why his gun is missing.”  
“But if he can do what you claimed, then… who could possible intervene?” asked Scully.  
“It’s someone who knows exactly how Max does what he does, and someone who is finally standing up to him.”  
Scully nodded, it was all becoming clear. “Tony.” She concluded. “How do we find him?”  
“Well, I would guess the source where Max gets his power from.” Said Mulder.  
“The woods near where the deputy was killed.” Said Scully, and the pieces fell into place. “You know Tony never came clean about what he was doing out there.”  
“Well.” Said Mulder formulating a theory. “Maybe that’s why the deputy was killed. Maybe he got too close to the truth.” He knew from experience what happens when you brush up against the truth like that. His father, Scully’s sister, they were all victims of his proximity to the truth.  
“It’s the only lead we have I think we need to head out there.” Said Scully and Mulder nodded.  
It wasn’t far from the hospital only about a five minute drive. But it was full dark now and they didn’t know what they were looking for. As they drove along the dirt track near where the deputy was slain, the headlights caught something reflecting back at them. It was a car, Tony was here alright. They pulled over and grabbed their flashlights ready to pursue on foot. But as they stepped out of the car a shot rang out. They ran towards the source of the sound finding a large outcropping of boulders. Mulder pointed his flashlight around, he couldn’t see any bodies.  
Scully noticed a gap in the wall of boulders and pointed her flashlight inside, it was a cave. She called Mulder over to check it out. They looked at each other, they didn’t know what they would be walking into here. If that Max kid really did have super speed, they would have no hope. They stared at each other, trying to express how much they meant to each other. And then, raised their guns and walked inside.  
The first thing they saw was Max, lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to his heart. As they turned the corner they found Tony, cradling Chastity who was sporting a similar wound, the gun was in her hand.  
They lowered their weapons and walked toward Tony, who was shaking. “Chastity?” he asked rocking her back and forth.  
“What happened here Tony?” Asked Scully softly. He looked like he was going into shock so she didn’t want to exacerbate his condition.  
“M…Max, he was going to kill us, so we tried to get back to the cave before him……. But we were too late.” Said Tony tears falling down his face.  
“This is where you get your super speed?” Asked Mulder. Tony just nodded.  
Scully didn’t want to upset him but she needed to know. “Tony, what happened with the gun?”  
“I wasn’t fast enough, I. I was trying to protect her. But Max took the gun. He was going to shoo….. Shoot me. And then…………” He trailed off.  
“The next thing you know the gun went off and Max and Chastity were hit.” Said Mulder. “She would have been moving too fast for him to see Scully.”  
“We need to get uniforms out here, and Tony needs a doctor, he is going into shock.” She said. This whole thing could get cleared up later. She pulled out her cell phone and dialled 911. “Agent Dana Scully here, were out near woodlands road, we need an ambulance and police. There has been a shooting.”  
“We will send one right away.” Replied the dispatcher. “What’s the status of the victims?”  
“I have a teenage boy in shock and two dead.” Said Scully looking at Tony, she hung up the phone. She would have to get him to move, the EMT’s couldn’t manoeuvre a stretcher in this cave. “Tony, we have to leave now.” She said softly, moving over to touch his shoulder.  
He looked up at her, his eyes were bloodshot and there were tear streaks down his cheeks. He nodded numbly and brushed back Chastity’s hair before letting her go from his arms to rest on the ground. Mulder walked over and helped him up. Together the three of them limped out of the cave, Mulder half carrying the boy.  
When they got back to the car the sound of sirens could be heard coming closer. They leant Tony against the car and waited. Less than a minute later police and an ambulance pulled up. Scully helped load Tony into the van and Mulder spoke to the Deputies that were swarming over them. He explained what he had saw happen and told the deputy that he wanted the United States Geological Survey team out here as soon as possible.  
Mulder and Scully waited around answering questions and taking the deputies through the scene until they were cleared to leave. And then headed for the car. “You hungry Scully?” Mulder asked  
“To be honest Mulder, I just want to go to sleep.” She said wearily. He nodded and drove them to the local Motel 6, he checked them into a couple of rooms and handed Scully her key.  
“Goodnight, Scully.” He said, knowing that she would want her space tonight.  
“Night Mulder.” She replied and stepped into her room. She appreciated him not pushing to spend the night together. After seeing two teenager’s lives cut short like that, she just wanted to crawl up in bed and cry. She would rather not have any witnesses to that.  
****  
The next morning Scully woke to a knocking sound. She sat up and blurredly looked around. The sound rang out again, it was the door. “Just a minute!” She called out and groaned getting out of bed. She hadn’t slept well, what little she had was plagued with bad dreams. She crossed over the room and opened the door rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  
Mulder stood on the other side. He couldn’t help but think how cute she was first thing in the morning, before she put on her make-up and armour. He held out a cardboard tray with two coffee cups in it. “Coffee?” He asked, and she grabbed the cup thankfully. He stepped into the room and sat down on the bed. “I bought bagels too.” He said and passed her the brown paper bag that housed the baked goods.  
She looked in the bag, they were the real kind with cream cheese and salmon, “Thank you Mulder,” She said and pulled one out to eat.  
“So I booked us on the two thirty flight home, I figured that should give us enough time to finish up here. I want to go down to the caves, the USGS should be here by now and I want to see what they find.” Said Mulder, between bites of his own breakfast.  
“I want to go down to the hospital and see Tony, maybe he will give a clearer statement now that he isn’t in shock.” She replied.  
“Want me to drop you off?” He asked.  
“No, its fine,” She said, she could see how eager he was to get down to the caves. “I have some stuff to do here first, I can take a cab.”  
“Alright then, I’m going to get going, I will meet you at the hospital.” He said and kissed her cheek.  
“Have fun Mulder.” Said Scully smiling. He grinned and walked out the door. She sighed and went about getting herself ready for the day.  
After showering and doing her make-up, she pottered around the motel room packing her bags. When she was ready to go she pulled out her cell phone and called a cab.  
It was a short ride to the hospital, Scully wanted to look at Tony’s charts before she saw him. She asked an attending if she could have a look at his medical files and set herself up in the exam room they had been using yesterday.  
Whatever had caused the damage to Max’s body, Tony had been exposed to it too she thought. But the strain on Tony’s body was significantly less. He would recover quickly, she remembered how quickly she bounced back as a teen. Nowadays anything more than three glasses of wine and she was sporting a hangover that lasted days, she thought ruefully. She was only thirty six, and didn’t feel old, but when working with teenagers the gap seemed to widen to a hundred.  
She looked up at the clock, it was 11:30 Mulder would be here soon and she still needed to talk to Tony. She put away his files and headed to his room. He was lying in the bed looking despondent, his mother kept vigil in the chair to his right.  
“Hi Tony, how are you feeling?” She asked walking in the room. “The doctors say you are recovering quite nicely.” He looked up at her but said nothing. “I wanted to ask if you could go over what happened last night in the cave, now that you are feeling a little better.”  
“Why?” He asked “you were there, you saw what happened.”  
“I wanted to know what happened with the gun.” She qualified.  
“Max took it and was going to shoot me but Chastity stopped him.” He said simply, it sounded like he had already told this story a few times.  
“But how did Chastity get shot? The ballistics said that the gun only fired one round.”  
“She must have stepped in front of the bullet after she shot Max.”  
Scully raised an eyebrow. “She stepped in front of the bullet.” She repeated.  
“She was fast.” Said Tony, shrugging.  
“Look, my son has been through a lot,” Said Ms Reed. “He has already been questioned by the police, why does he need to go through this again? He needs to rest and move on.”

“I understand Ms Reed, we are just trying to get the facts.” Said Scully carefully,  
“The fact is, my son is a good boy! And whatever he got caught up in had nothing to do with him. He was just trying to make friends and got caught up in the wrong crowd. Put that in your report!” Spat Tony’s mother.  
Scully knew she wouldn’t get any more out of Tony so she nodded and turned to leave. When she reached the doorway she turned and looked back at the boy. She wondered how his life would turn out. Watching your only friends die in front of you, she couldn’t imagine the pain he must be feeling. She saw Ms Reed glaring at her and turned to leave, as she walked out of the room she bumped into Mulder.  
“Oh, Did the USGS show up?” she asked him.  
“Yeah, eighteen Geologists and three semis full of gear. They covered every inch of that cave.” He replied  
“And?” Scully asked. “What did they come up with?”  
“Nothing.” Said Mulder, the look of disappointment playing across his face. “Well, bat guano and above normal magnetic field readings, but nothing that would cause a physiological effect.”  
Scully tried hard to keep the, I told you so expression off her face. “What did you expect them to find Mulder?”  
“I don’t know, a Vortex like the one in Oregon. Gravitational aberrations, unique chemical compositions, relics that would indicate that the cave was a sacred site. Something! Anything! I don’t know.” He said sighing.  
“Well, you and I were both in there and nothing happened to us.” Scully reasoned. “We’re still slow poking around.” She joked  
Mulder gave her a serious expression. “What if we’re too old?” He asked, Scully’s face twisted into a sympathetic look, “Well, you said that teenagers differ from adults chemically and physiologically.” He quickly followed up. “What if whatever is in that cave affects only them?”  
“Well, that’s doubtful.” Said Scully. But as she looked up to his defeated expression she said. “But no more doubtful than any other theory. I mean, it’s worth checking out.”  
“Yeah?” Asked Mulder. “Well we can’t. As of an hour ago they pumped concrete into the cave, sealed it for precautionary reasons. We’ll never know.” They both looked at each other. How many times had they had proof of supernatural occurrences only to have it ripped away? “How’s he doing?” He asked nodding his head at Tony’s room.  
“Bruises and muscle strains mostly. He’ll recover.” Answered Scully. “Go back to being a normal kid.”  
They both knew that while his physical wounds would heal, the psychological damage inflicted on the boy would prevent him from ever feeling normal again.  
“Let’s go.” Said Mulder, putting a hand on the small of her back and guiding her towards the elevator. She had left her bags at the front reception desk, and stopped to collect them on the way out.  
“Got everything?” Mulder asked.  
“Yep.” Replied Scully. They got in the car, happy to put this small town behind them. Even though it was lunch time, they opted for the hour long drive back to Roanoke before stopping for lunch.  
****  
Mulder pulled up outside the diner that Scully had gotten coffees for them their first night on the case. And as Mulder got out of the car he turned and looked across the road to the bookshop he had visited. It was gone. A ladies apparel shop in its place. He stopped and stared, the entire building looked different, the shop window was bigger and the brick work was an entirely different pattern, he blinked. And scanned up and down the street. He couldn’t see the book shop anywhere. He turned back to the diner, it was definitely the same diner he and Scully had gone to the other night.  
He was still standing by the car gaping when Scully who had walked to the door noticed he wasn’t behind her. “Mulder?” she called out, worrying about the confused expression on his face. He shook his head as if to clear it, and shut the car door walking over to Scully. “What is it?” she asked  
“Nothing, I ah thought I forgot something.” He replied smiling to himself.  
There would always be mysteries in their world, and they would always try to explain the unexplainable. But sometimes, every now and then, the mysteries were meant to stay mysteries, content just to bring them together.

 

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my works. this took me a couple of weeks to write, but I really love it. let me know if you want to read more like this and I will endeavor to write more. As I said at the start of this fic, this is my first attempt at writing, so if you have any tips, or things i got wrong. let me know.


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